CONCACAF rivals in November friendlies

[nolando]

Four key rivals in competition this week:

Jamaica plays El Salvador and Guatemala, while Honduras and Guatemala tune up in Miami against Honduras.

Jamaica's squad looks strong - these team should be getting down to their final WCQ squads just like Canada has. Jamaica's squad looks decent to these eyes.

Jamaica's squad for games vs El Salvador and Guatemala

Goalkeepers -Donovan Ricketts (Bradford City, England), Richard McCallumn (Waterhouse FC, Jamaica), Duwayne Kerr (Portmore United, Jamaica).

Defenders - Demar Phillips (Stoke City, england), Damian Stewart (Queens Park Rangers, England), Ian Goodison (Tranmere Rovers, England), Demar Stewart (Royal Whitestar, Belgium), Rafe Wolfe (Royal Whitestar, Belgium), Tyrone Marshall (Toronto FC, Canada), Shavar Thomas (Chivas, U.S.), Wolry Wolfe (Portmore United FC, Jamaica), Christopher Jackson (Tivoli Gardens FC, Jamaica).

Midfielders - Sean Fraser (Miami FC, U.S.), Jason Morrison (Royal Whitestar, Belgium), Ricardo Gardner (Bolton Wanderers, England), Omar Daley (Bradford City, England), Jermaine Johnson (Sheffield Wednesday, England), Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Barnsley, England), Khari Stephenson (AIKS, Sweden), Rudolph Austin (Portmore United FC, Jamaica), Ricardo Geddes (Seba FC, Jamaica), Damian Williams (Waterhouse FC, Jamaica). Forwards - Luton Shelton (Sheffield United, England), Ricardo Fuller (Stoke City, England), Dane Richards (NY Red Bulls, U.S.), Fabian Taylor (Harbour View FC, Jamaica).

[nolando]

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - Captain Ricardo Gardener scored two goals and Jamaica celebrated the 10th anniversary of its qualification for World Cup in France with a 3-0 victory over El Salvador on Sunday.

Gardener scored in the 38th and 83rd minutes. Rudolph Austin opened the scoring in the 33rd minute.

On Wednesday, Jamaica will play Guatemala in another friendly, also at the National Stadium.

[nolando]

Great to see these Iceland and South Africa- type match-ups, but in the first half of '08 I would love for us to play all four of these CONCACAF countries, maybe a couple away and a couple at home.

Maybe play a CONCACAF minnow (Martinique? Haiti? Surinam?) or two as well to prepare for a possible weak first opponent and to cement the confidence. Let's get the focus back on our own zone so that all of the inherant challenges (uneven officiating, nasty away crowds, time-zone issues,etc) can be dealt with BEFORE qualifying starts and we don't have to hear these points used as a worthy excuse for another failed WCQ campaign.

[loyola]

After yesterday I'm wondering how can people continue to claim that uneven officiating is a CONCACAF thing....

As for your suggestion, I agree that we should try to play CONCACAF opposition but it might be tougher because the February and March FIFA dates are single date. It might be easier for us to have games in Europe if we're gonna have only 3-4 days at that time.

BTW, we're supposed to have a game with Iceland in Canada sometime in 2008 according to the deal we had with them.

[amacpher]

quote:Originally posted by loyola

After yesterday I'm wondering how can people continue to claim that uneven officiating is a CONCACAF thing....

CONCACAF is still king of uneven (home bias) officiating! Although UEFA refs are sometimes pretty good at getting everything wrong! [}]

[nolando]

More than 20,000 for a friendly, and neither of the countries was technically at home...wow...if only

Fans turn out again for Honduras' shutout win

By Kevin Clark | South Florida Sun-Sentinel

November 18, 2007

MIAMI GARDENS - In October 2006, the last time Honduras and Guatemala came to South Florida, the interest was so great that fans were turned away from Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium.

The venue switched to the much larger Dolphin Stadium for Saturday night, and both nations' supporters could finally fit into one stadium for see Honduras' low-scoring but dominant 1-0 win.

Honduras, with some history of competitiveness on an international stage, outplayed Guatemala, which has less tradition.

Honduras set the tone in the first few minutes, barely missing on several scoring opportunities.

Honduras forward Ramon Nunez shot went over the crossbar within the first 30 seconds of the game and minutes later had a shot hit the post. His team controlled possession for most of the first half, as most of the action took place just steps away from the Guatemalans' goal.

After 20 minutes and a flurry of chances, Walter Martinez finally put Honduras ahead.

His initial shot bounced off the leg of a defender and hung just a few feet away from the goal, and he sent it into the top of the net, sending the pro-Honduras crowd into a frenzy.

The vocal crowd, started chanting nearly an hour before kickoff, which was delayed 30 minutes as the crowd trickled in.

The announced 20,885 fans took up the majority of Dolphin Stadium's lower bowl. The upper bowl and club seats were not used.

The game drifted along at a typical slow pace for a friendly, until a series of defensive challenges became increasingly intense.

Guatemala's Nestor Martinez and Honduras' Wilson Palacios got into a shoving match in the 33rd minute, and most of their teammates got involved. Martinez and Palacios received yellow cards.

Both clubs lacked some of their star power. Guatemala's Carlos Ruiz, a striker for FC Dallas of the MLS, skipped the game. Honduras forward David Suazo, of famed Italian club Inter Milan, also missed the game, but his loss was offset by Palacios, of the English Premier League club Birmingham City.

[jpg75]

Guatemala would have been missing Marvin Avila and Jose Contreras who are with their U23 group...