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Boyz surrender to rampaging Vietnam
Ian Burnett
Monday, June 25, 2007
HANOI, Vietnam - Jamaica's national senior football team surrendered 0-3 to a rampaging Vietnamese outfit here at the My Dinh National Stadium last night.
Led by a first-half strike from Cong Vinh, and two second-half efforts from Duc Duong and substitute Anh Duc, Vietnam gave their supporters hope heading into next month's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. But before that tournament, the Vietnamese are slated to face Bahrain in their last tune-up on June 30.
Vietnam are co-hosts of the 2007 edition of the AFC Asian Cup, along with Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. They will contest Group C with defending champions Japan, as well as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Yesterday's defeat was the second in as many games for the Reggae Boyz on their four-nation tour. They were also beaten 1-2 by Indonesia last Thursday, and will head to Kuala Lumpur this afternoon hoping to get their band back on track with a third game on Thursday.
Unlike their loss to Indonesia, when they played under adverse conditions, the Boyz had no excuse this time around. They only have themselves to blame, as they displayed a wretched lack of concentration repeatedly.
Paradoxically, technical director Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic was quite contented at game's end. "I am much happier today than the last game, because I know more (about the players)," he reasoned.
"This is so important to make my idea of what we need to do to make a competitive team," added Bora, who refused to elaborate.
The game, played before a sparsely populated Stadium, and with a portrait of the country's great emperor Ho Chi Minh hanging royally from the Grand Stand on the far side, was controlled by the AFC Asian Cup LOC as a test run ahead of the tournament. However, one glaring glitch was the incorrect classification of the accreditation process, which resulted in some match officials and members of the press being denied entry to areas in which they were expected to work. And the initial non-negotiable stance of the security forces did little to solve the problem until the hierarchy of the LOC intervened. Even medical personnel were initially refused entry to the playing area.
As the teams met both presidents of their FAs, they were presented with bouquets which they duly tossed into the crowd, much to the pleasure of the spectators.
Five minutes had barely arrived when Mario Harrison booted wide and high from deep inside the penalty area after he collected a flick on from a Fabian Davis left-sided corner.
The Boyz also squandered another point-blank chance a minute later when Wolry Wolfe, who opened his goal-scoring account in the last game, failed to get enough contact to a Demar Phillip cross.
Wolfe, only six yards away, side-footed the grounded cross, but the effort lacked the fire power to get it in as goalkeeper Quang Huy got down in time to smother the shot.
The home side, who had not yet been able to get a glance at the Jamaican goalkeeper Allien Whittaker, took advantage of Adrian Reid's bad judgement and the retreating Donald Stewart was forced to commit a foul just outside the penalty area.
Vinh stepped up to expertly float the ball over the defensive wall and into the far side of the goal.
Fabian Davis then had an inswinging right side corner headed off the line.
But on the half-hour mark, Boys' Town's Xavian Virgo was stretchered off and replaced by Marion Swaby.
With Vietnam clearly dominating the midfield in the second half, it was no surprise when they extended the lead. From only their third corner of the game in the 66th minute, Duong had the luxury of controlling a corner kick with his back to goal. He spun and drove a low shot beneath a host of players.
And in time added, the Boyz were caught unawares when the home side used its express pace to open up the Jamaican defence and Anh Duc made no mistake from outside the box.
At the final whistle, Vietnam, ranked 142nd on FIFA's Coca-Cola World Ranking, were deserving winners, and it brought home forcibly the reality of exactly where Jamaica's local league is.
Boyz surrender to rampaging Vietnam
Ian Burnett
Monday, June 25, 2007
HANOI, Vietnam - Jamaica's national senior football team surrendered 0-3 to a rampaging Vietnamese outfit here at the My Dinh National Stadium last night.
Led by a first-half strike from Cong Vinh, and two second-half efforts from Duc Duong and substitute Anh Duc, Vietnam gave their supporters hope heading into next month's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. But before that tournament, the Vietnamese are slated to face Bahrain in their last tune-up on June 30.
Vietnam are co-hosts of the 2007 edition of the AFC Asian Cup, along with Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. They will contest Group C with defending champions Japan, as well as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Yesterday's defeat was the second in as many games for the Reggae Boyz on their four-nation tour. They were also beaten 1-2 by Indonesia last Thursday, and will head to Kuala Lumpur this afternoon hoping to get their band back on track with a third game on Thursday.
Unlike their loss to Indonesia, when they played under adverse conditions, the Boyz had no excuse this time around. They only have themselves to blame, as they displayed a wretched lack of concentration repeatedly.
Paradoxically, technical director Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic was quite contented at game's end. "I am much happier today than the last game, because I know more (about the players)," he reasoned.
"This is so important to make my idea of what we need to do to make a competitive team," added Bora, who refused to elaborate.
The game, played before a sparsely populated Stadium, and with a portrait of the country's great emperor Ho Chi Minh hanging royally from the Grand Stand on the far side, was controlled by the AFC Asian Cup LOC as a test run ahead of the tournament. However, one glaring glitch was the incorrect classification of the accreditation process, which resulted in some match officials and members of the press being denied entry to areas in which they were expected to work. And the initial non-negotiable stance of the security forces did little to solve the problem until the hierarchy of the LOC intervened. Even medical personnel were initially refused entry to the playing area.
As the teams met both presidents of their FAs, they were presented with bouquets which they duly tossed into the crowd, much to the pleasure of the spectators.
Five minutes had barely arrived when Mario Harrison booted wide and high from deep inside the penalty area after he collected a flick on from a Fabian Davis left-sided corner.
The Boyz also squandered another point-blank chance a minute later when Wolry Wolfe, who opened his goal-scoring account in the last game, failed to get enough contact to a Demar Phillip cross.
Wolfe, only six yards away, side-footed the grounded cross, but the effort lacked the fire power to get it in as goalkeeper Quang Huy got down in time to smother the shot.
The home side, who had not yet been able to get a glance at the Jamaican goalkeeper Allien Whittaker, took advantage of Adrian Reid's bad judgement and the retreating Donald Stewart was forced to commit a foul just outside the penalty area.
Vinh stepped up to expertly float the ball over the defensive wall and into the far side of the goal.
Fabian Davis then had an inswinging right side corner headed off the line.
But on the half-hour mark, Boys' Town's Xavian Virgo was stretchered off and replaced by Marion Swaby.
With Vietnam clearly dominating the midfield in the second half, it was no surprise when they extended the lead. From only their third corner of the game in the 66th minute, Duong had the luxury of controlling a corner kick with his back to goal. He spun and drove a low shot beneath a host of players.
And in time added, the Boyz were caught unawares when the home side used its express pace to open up the Jamaican defence and Anh Duc made no mistake from outside the box.
At the final whistle, Vietnam, ranked 142nd on FIFA's Coca-Cola World Ranking, were deserving winners, and it brought home forcibly the reality of exactly where Jamaica's local league is.
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