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Late Mariappa withdrawal turns attention to plan B
Schaefer’s headache
Thursday, October 09, 2014
SCHAEFER… it’s like a puzzle with which player can play in this position or that position
But now he may have to find a plan B. “Mariappa sent me a message that he cannot come and he was a part of my system with Wes (Morgan) and (Nyron) Nosworthy… Dane Richards is coming, but I don’t know him, only from the TV, and that he is a very good player, and I am asking myself which position is the best position for him and us. “We may play 3-5-2, or maybe he will play striker, maybe with (Jamar) Loza, or maybe we play 4-3-3 and then maybe he (Richards) can play right side, and it’s like a puzzle with which player can play in this position or that position,” said Schaefer, having the headache that no coach wants to have.
So while Schaefer and his technical team agonise over their formation, and who to play where, the medical and fitness staffs have worries of their own. With only one practical training session set for today ahead of the match scheduled for tomorrow night 7:25 pm (5:25 am Jamaica time) at the Denka Big Swan Stadium, fitness trainer Andre Waugh and physiotherapist Rushauy Watson have their work cut out for them as they try to get players match-ready after torturous air travel from various parts of the world to get to Niigata, Japan. But by 9:00 pm last night, all 18 players were inside the team hotel. Still it is a race against time to overcome jetlag-inspired fatigue to get them match ready for a Japanese squad together since Monday on home turf going through their paces.
Schaefer’s headache
Thursday, October 09, 2014
SCHAEFER… it’s like a puzzle with which player can play in this position or that position
But now he may have to find a plan B. “Mariappa sent me a message that he cannot come and he was a part of my system with Wes (Morgan) and (Nyron) Nosworthy… Dane Richards is coming, but I don’t know him, only from the TV, and that he is a very good player, and I am asking myself which position is the best position for him and us. “We may play 3-5-2, or maybe he will play striker, maybe with (Jamar) Loza, or maybe we play 4-3-3 and then maybe he (Richards) can play right side, and it’s like a puzzle with which player can play in this position or that position,” said Schaefer, having the headache that no coach wants to have.
So while Schaefer and his technical team agonise over their formation, and who to play where, the medical and fitness staffs have worries of their own. With only one practical training session set for today ahead of the match scheduled for tomorrow night 7:25 pm (5:25 am Jamaica time) at the Denka Big Swan Stadium, fitness trainer Andre Waugh and physiotherapist Rushauy Watson have their work cut out for them as they try to get players match-ready after torturous air travel from various parts of the world to get to Niigata, Japan. But by 9:00 pm last night, all 18 players were inside the team hotel. Still it is a race against time to overcome jetlag-inspired fatigue to get them match ready for a Japanese squad together since Monday on home turf going through their paces.
