Notice how soft the defense is on youth teams!

[Stonigut]

U20's gave up seven goals, yes, seven goals and only scored two, minus five gd.
What's the point in trying to play pretty ball and you can't score and you give up goals like something free a gie whey.

Same with this u17 team, three games and they have given up four goals and scored three goals against weak opposition, if this team goes anywhere it will be marginal, scraping through by the skin a dem teet.

Again everybody want to play pretty free flow ball but if you can't score what is the point!!! Defend like hell, play pressure ball and break on the counter, jamaican football success has come from defensive integrity not from attacking prowess, how long must we be subjected to fitting a square peg into a bleersneath round hole, what will it take to understand that defensive superiority is easier to master that attacking prowess and with speed and fitness you can turn defensive superiority into a counter attacking machine at every level of our game.

Goals win games but conceding more goals and not scoring goals definitely loses games, seems to be a simple equation.

We must obtain and master defensive skills and all else will follow.

[Karl]

Did we have greater possession in each of our matches?

How was our passing %age?

It is good to remember that possession is a crucial part of defense! ...so the 'pretty ball' is fine...it is the quality of organization and execution when on the ball/when in possession and without the ball/when the ball is lost that hinders or allows opportunities for goal against.

Are we set-up in a manner such if our attack breaks down %age likelihood of recovering the ball is acceptable? If not, then organization when on attack needs adjustment.

Hey!?! ...quality of players plays a crucial part in the teacher's/coach's organization plan(s). As a group and as per weakest individual...on technical skills, tactical ability and pace...can you attack throwing how many how far forward? ...how many restrained to have adequate protection against/on opponents gaining possession? ...is there commitment by each player= entire TEAM to 'Gunners Sanchez-like effort' when the ball is lost?

Look no further than the US TEAM!

[Stonigut]

All relevant points with merit and even with your best case scenario the bottom line still remains we have let in four and scored three, a fundamental weakness and deficiency had been revealed and Cuba was even able to capitalize on it and steal a point and deny us two valuable points. I think what is revealed to me is the focus in developing players and teams is not on defense but on attack and it shows in how these teams are so uncompetitive and weak on the defensive side.

[Jawge]

Which U-20 played a free flowing passing game? The one at Catherine Hall this year?

[Zeppo]

U20's gave up seven goals, yes, seven goals and only scored two, minus five gd.
What's the point in trying to play pretty ball and you can't score and you give up goals like something free a gie whey.

Same with this u17 team, three games and they have given up four goals and scored three goals against weak opposition, if this team goes anywhere it will be marginal, scraping through by the skin a dem teet.

It's not just your youth teams though. The senior Boyz also have the same problem.

In fact, in every Hexagonal Jamaica has qualified for they've finished with a negative goal differential.

[Karl]

Agree!
Old ingrained traits are hard to leave behind. Working as TEAM on attack is, as concept, easily graped...not so working as TEAM on defense. Hey...was it not a few days past that someone here claimed forwards are there to score goals as there was a rejection of the suggestion that duties must be shared...that "it is a TEAM thing".

[Stonigut]

No, not playing that but the focus in youth ball from what I have seen is not on fundamental defensive integrity, the overall focus is elsewhere and I think we see it all over, the sexiness of beautiful attacking ball, but the first priority should always be defensive integrity and we see with both teams thus far, this is not a strength but a weakness and the attack side is too weak to carry the team, so you must make some choices.

[Stonigut]

Yes true but even with last campaign there were other issues afoot, we saw a great defensive effort in a number of games in the last hex. Even when we qualified we had a negative gd, but bottom line is you grind out the result when you can so in 98 we gave up 12 over ten matches and scored seven but the defense was hard to score on so the average was 1.2 per game and they were still able to grab three wins and five draws for fourteen points, that's grinding!!!

[Jawge]

I see your point but remember this defense; is mostly about tactics. Tactis usually comes after technique. Ja has a history of being a low scoring team on the INT'L scene. My belief is that because JA is lacking in the technical dept.

Remember you can easily convert a midfielder to Central D also forward to wing back. I think this will solve Ja's lagging problem of aimless booting. Ja needs to hold the ball at the back then make a smooth transition from dfence to offence. Look at the U17 it's across that caused the goal. Concentration and tactics was what needed most here. Only long hours doing drilss during the day will correct these weaknesses.

So it's technique first and foremost.

[Stonigut]

Fully agree, much easier to build excellent or even competent defense than building and developing even a competent attack, which is the reason I have always advocated maximizing those things that you do best and capitalizing on those things you have an advantage in and we have an advantage overall on speed and some small advantage on individual skill, how do you combine that to maximum effect, like an Italy has done over the years with stubborn defense and brilliant counter attack built upon the solid defense.

[Gamma]

if anybody, you will be the statistician that drowns trying to cross that river with an average depth of 3 feet.

[Stonigut]

Team defense is the easiest thing to do with discipline and specially selected players, it requires commitment and strong leadership, it requires fast, fit and strong players with mental strength to go the extra mile, guys like mcanuff and Austin are symbolic of the quality of mental strength and fitness we need every reggaeboyz to possess.


What many people on this forum still don't realize is the role that mcanuff played in the Carib cup on attack and defense he was ridiculous, especially the consistency with which he jostled attacking players coming into the jamaican half, he disrupted the flow of the attacking team consistently.

[myYout]

Defending been wi main problem fi real, seem like wi nuh provide no instruction set pan defending or di playahs jus nah follow di instruction or jus nuh know how to. But, all I know seh wi dreadful at defending.

[Assasin]

Well in some cases we dreadful in defending and attacking. Hope we can get better in both, but at least we are moving the ball and keeping the other team on their backfoot sometimes right now.

We are not playing dreadful teams. Some good ball is been played in that u17 and so far the US team has been VERY good. Honduras, Cuba, Guatamala are not bad team either, regardless what Stoni is saying.

I can easily see some players from that tournament been drafted into good teams. Ball nuh look bad to me.

[Assasin]

That is not the point, was the defense good or not???
The goal difference tell the story.

So far these young boys are grinding out the points, aren't they?

Fact is I play defense and I know how important it is but there are other factors that comes into winning and team play.