Oct 8 - Canada vs Jamaica - Pre-Match

[Winnipeg Fury]

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Brown pleased with Reggae Boyz's performance

 

JAMAICA'S NATIONAL football coach, Carl Brown, has expressed satisfaction with the team's performance in its 1-0 loss to Canada on Monday in Montreal. Brown, speaking upon the team's arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday, said: 'The team performed well although we started out very slowly and played in patches in the first half. 'I think we played well in the second half and one must remember that this team is also under a lot of pressure to perform,' he said.

Goalkeper's error

'But the good thing about it is that our goalkeeper, Shawn Sawyers, recognised very early that the blame (for the conceded goal) had to be his; but it is all part of the process and he is only going to learn from games like this.'

Brown also believes this team can go from strength to strength based on how it played in the second half.

'The team showed a lot of courage in the second period. We stood up and fought. We had two tall players in the middle in Khari Stephenson and Oneil Thompson and they were very effective in keeping the Canadians out after they looked threatening in the first half,' he said.

Played better passing game

'We really settled down in the second half and played a better passing game ... this is one of the things we have to learn at this level that - we have to keep the ball whenever we have possession and try to finish all the attacks.'

Brown said there was still a lot of work to be done before the start of the Digicel Caribbean Cup, in which Jamaica will be hosting a leg later this month, but believes the players will now be better prepared for it.

'With the National Premier League starting this Sunday, I think that a lot of the players will be match-ready. This was one the biggest problems we had out there against the Canadians - a couple of the players had not been playing any competitive football and that showed in the early part of the game.'

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

© Copyright 1997-2006 Gleaner Company Ltd.

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[Winnipeg Fury]

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Boyz plan ambush at 'The Office'

 

Montreal, Canada - Canada's Paul Stalteri (#7) jostles with Jamaican defender Damion Stewart during their international friendly match on Monday. Canada won, 1-0. (Photo: AP)

MONTREAL, Canada - Jamaica suffered yet another away defeat in an international friendly, but this time the Reggae Boyz left Montreal feeling justified with their performances against Canada on Monday evening.

The Reggae Boyz went down 1-0 at the Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard Stadium in front of 6,526 fans who came to witness the return of international football to Montreal after an 11-year drought.

After a slow start to the first half, the Boyz conceded a goal in the 40th minute, but rallied strongly in the second half and even had a goal by Teafore Bennett disallowed for offside.

With a contingent of mostly local-based players and limited training time, the Boyz are taking heart from the fact they were not mowed over by a very strong Canadian line-up.

Speaking after the defeat, captain Fabian Davis said there were a lot of good signs that they will be taking forward in the return leg on October 8.

'I think the team performed well given the circumstances that we only got a week to prepare for this game. I think we played well and we basically carried out the instructions, and you could see where we had most possession of the ball,' Davis told the Observer.

After Monday's display, many of the players are envisaging a Jamaican victory - even if the overseas-based players are not available - at the National Stadium.

One of those players is England-based defender Damion Stewart.

'If the attitude of the players don't change.' Stewart told the Observer.

'But we have to score goals to win. So we just need to score some goals and I know we will get the victory in Jamaica.

'They (Canada) had players coming from all over and we used most of our local-based players. And you could see where if we had time to prepare they wouldn't have come out with a win.

'But come the second leg we should be looking better, because... we'll have time to prepare... we're gonna have games under our belts with the Digicel Cup coming up,' added Davis.

However, the players admitted there is room for improvement particularly in the goal-scoring department.

And for Stewart, it was a 'pretty loss', seeing that they dominated the second half.

'It was a pretty loss, although they say 'an ugly win is better than a pretty loss'. As Carl Brown said, he's looking at working on the players' attitude and to me the players' attitude was spot on for this game... there are a lot of positives to take from this game that we need to take into the next game,' Stewart said.

As for coach Brown, who didn't see why the Jamaican goal was ruled off-side, the team will be built around the current squad that played in North America.

'It's about getting back... to coaching these players to let them understand what they have to at this level in order to get good results,' Brown said.

Boys' Town player Oniel Thompson, who was used in a holding midfield position, was encouraged by his own performance and is likewise confident Jamaica will take the return-leg in Kingston.

'I feel comfortable and my confidence is growing... all I need now is some more exposure, some more games and some regular starts,' said Thompson after his first national cap.

The Reggae Boyz now turn their attention to the Caribbean Digicel Cup - starting later this month - before entertaining the Canadians and then Peru on November 15.

ANDREW HANCEL, Observer staff reporter

Copyright© 2000-2001 Jamaica Observer. All Rights Reserved.

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[loyola]

Any indication about Sportsnet broadcasting this game? If they don't, I hope they'll get the november friendly in Europe.

[Winnipeg Fury]

quote:Originally posted by loyola

Any indication about Sportsnet broadcasting this game? If they don't, I hope they'll get the november friendly in Europe.

I would love to see this match.

It will be interesting to see how many of our Euro contingent make the trip. It wouldn't surprise me if a few were no-show.

[Joe Keeper]

Thats a bit of an over confident article to me. They make it sound like they already think victory is assured. This loss probably got under there skin a bit more than they let on...

The return should be great, lets hope sportsnet picks up the rights to this match.

I have to admit though, Im a bit green seeing their match schedule. Even if they are only Carribean Minnows in there upcoming games, they will be playing more games in a month and a half than we will be in three months. I fail to see why the CSA cant try to secure us two matches in the one november trip. Although I would love to see more of this home and home scheduling with CONCACAF opponents in the future.

[jonovision]

Is there any reason that a Kingston leg of the home and home could not have been played today? I see T&T & Jamaica are playing each other today, and with the Euro qualifiers going on, there is no reason our players would need to be in a rush to get back.

[Daniel]

quote:Originally posted by jonovision

Is there any reason that a Kingston leg of the home and home could not have been played today? I see T&T & Jamaica are playing each other today, and with the Euro qualifiers going on, there is no reason our players would need to be in a rush to get back.

Seeing as you mention that Trinidad are playing Jamaica today...

[jonovision]

quote:Originally posted by Daniel

Seeing as you mention that Trinidad are playing Jamaica today...

That would prevent us from playing Jamaica, yes, but my larger point is that if other countries can fit 2 friendlies into this window, why can't we?

[RS]

Trinidad are not playing Jamaica today.

[Daniel]

quote:Originally posted by jonovision

That would prevent us from playing Jamaica, yes, but my larger point is that if other countries can fit 2 friendlies into this window, why can't we?

General incompetence? The game in Montreal looked like it wasn't organized at all! When's the last time we played 2 friendlies in 5 days? Czech and Ireland in 2003?

[Winnipeg Fury]

quote:Originally posted by jonovision

Is there any reason that a Kingston leg of the home and home could not have been played today? I see T&T & Jamaica are playing each other today, and with the Euro qualifiers going on, there is no reason our players would need to be in a rush to get back.

T&T aren't playing Jamaica. I saw that on LiveScore and was wondering what it was about.

T&T had 2 matches planned, but their new Dutch coach cancelled the games because he could not get their Euro contingent. Jamaica are in the same position, but are moving ahead with their matches (Canada x2,Peru).

Needless to say this has provided the Reggae Boyz with ongoing ammunition in their never ending battle of superiority with T&T.

[Free kick]

A couple of interesting stats going into this game.

1) Canada is on a bit of a streaks:D. Undefeated in over a year! Yup, our last loss occurred against Spain on Sept 3, 2005.

2) We have not conceded a single goal over this time frame..

Disclaimer:

Our MNT has only played four games since that friendly versus Spain in Sept 2005.

results

Can-Lux 1-0 ( Away/ Friendly)

Can-USA 0-0 ( Away/ Friendly)

Can-Aut 2-0 ( Away/ Friendly)

Can-Jam 1-0 ( Home/ Frendly)

[Daniel]

The disclaimer is the saddest part.

[Gian-Luca]

No one has mentioned this but that was our first victory at home since October 2000 when we beat Panama 1-0. Since then a 0-0 tie with Mexico in Toronto in November of 2000, no home games until 2004 which consisted of a tie in Edmonton & two losses in Vancouver in WCQ, followed by another loss in Vancouver as a friendly prior to the 2005 Gold Cup.

[Grizzly]

You are forgetting the great victories over mighty Belize in Kingston in 2004 GL!

[Winnipeg Fury]

Boyz back in 'Office'

Ja vs St Lucia; Haiti vs SVG in double header

Observer Reporter

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

International football returns to the National Stadium today when the Jamaican leg of the Digicel Caribbean Cup kicks off with a double header.

In the curtain-raiser at 5:00 pm, Caribbean power Haiti take on St Vincent and the Grenadines, while two hours later, the Reggae Boyz face St Lucia.

The feature game will mark the first international involving the Reggae Boyz on local soil in 20 months. The Boyz last played an international at the 'Office' on January 8, 2005, when they drubbed French Guiana 5-0 in the third round of the Digicel qualifier.

The Boyz then moved on to eventually crown themselves champions of the Caribbean for the third time in the history of the competition.

The game will also mark the second assignment for interim head coach Carl Brown, who was reappointed last month, following the resignation of Wendell Downswell. Brown will be in charge of the team until November 15, when it faces Peru in an international friendly at the National Stadium.

(From left) Reggae Boyz Jason Morrison, Oneil Thompson and Demar Stewart go through their paces at the National Stadium last night ahead of today's Digicel Cup match against St Lucia. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Brown was asked to guide the team as the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) continues its search for a permanent international head coach to guide the Boyz into the 2010 World Cup Finals qualification.

In his first game back at the helm, Brown's Reggae Boyz lost 0-1 to Canada in Montreal on September 4. The teams are slated for a rematch at the National Stadium on Sunday, October 8.

As the Reggae Boyz, comprised mainly of local-based players, begin the defence of their Cup, coach Brown is concerned with the strikers at his disposal, but he still expects his side to advance from this Group D, dubbed the 'group of death'.

"Our toughest area is our strike force and we may have to look at bulking up the team with midfielders," Brown told the Observer.

"But we are trying to strike as good a balance as we can," he added.

The coach readily admitted that he knew little of the opposition, but he was certain his players would perform better than they did against Canada earlier this month.

"I don't know what the other teams will have to offer," he said, "but we have seen our players working over the last three weeks and they have been working very hard.

"Most our these players were in Canada and we have started our Premier League, which means that they will be match ready and in much better shape than when we saw them in Canada, so they should do very well in a tournament like this."

Brown had drafted overseas-based players Omar Daley and Shane Crawford, who were expected to join the 18-man squad yesterday, along with Sean Fraser and Fabian Dawkins, who trained with the team at the National Stadium last evening.

Brown's opposite number Carson Millar, who indicated that his side, which possess six foreign-based players, will provide a tough game for Jamaica.

"It is a very tough group," he said. "Haiti is a tough team, Jamaica is a tough team..."

Millar was hopeful that his foreign-based players would "add experience to the team". He added that St Lucia got some practice games earlier in the year in Guadeloupe, when they used only local-based players. "We also made a tour to Guyana, but we didn't do that well, losing both games, 3-2 and 2-0," he revealed.

St Lucia, who arrived in the island Monday evening, held a practice session at Constant Spring early yesterday morning. Numbered among their ranks was Jarvin Skeete, a striker who is no stranger to Jamaica, having played a season for Arnett Gardens in the National Premier League.

In the first game, Haiti are expected to prove too strong for St Vincent and the Grenadines.

According to coach Carlo Marcelin of Haiti, they are here to do one thing, qualify for the next phase.

"We are here to play and get to the next round and we are prepared for that, and if we have to defeat Jamaica to go through, then so be it," he said, though adding that "it won't be easy to beat Jamaica at home".

He said that his team, a mixture of youth and experience, is prepared for battle.

Serbian Zoran Vranes, who has had a coaching stint with Trinidad and Tobago, has revealed that his St Vincent and the Grenadines side is here primarily to gain experience. Still, he said they will be no pushovers.

The winner and runner-up advance to the next phase, with the finals set for Trinidad early next year. The 2006/07 Digicel Caribbean Cup winners will earn a first prize of US$120,000.

Squad: Shawn Sawyers, Richard McCallum, Demar Stewart, Jermaine Taylor, Xavian Virgo, Fabian Davis, Garfield Reid, Shane Crawford, Oneil Thompson, Omar Daley, Demar Phillips, Jason Morrison, Damion Williams, Sean Fraser, Fabian Dawkins, Roland Dean, Wilfred Smith, Kevin Lamey.

[Alex]

Jamaica beat St. Lucia 4-0 in that game.