WORRYING SIGNS FROM REGGAE BOYZ

The Reggae Boyz will not be the most confident lot going into their World Cup qualifying match against Guatamala come June 8. The Jamaican public will be a lot less so on that day as well. What is worse is that following the Boyz’ last performance at the national stadium on Sunday night, the Jamaica Football Federation now has its hands full in trying to convince the public to come out in support of the national team once the campaign begins.

Back in 1998 when Jamaica aimed to become the first English-speaking Caribbean country to qualify for the World Cup in France, Jamaica was abuzz with excitement and anticipation. The euphoria was constant and the expectation high right through until the Reggae Boyz crossed that final hurdle. Theodore Whitemore was one of the stars of the Reggae Boyz back then and he capped off a decent World Cup performance with two goals against Japan securing Jamaica’s first ever World Cup win.

Three failed campaigns later and Whitmore, the hero of 1998, is now national coach and the fans are calling for his head, especially after this last debacle that saw Jamaica’s lose its first match at the national stadium since 2007. Against the Panamanians, who before the match was ranked 52, one place below the Jamaicans on FIFA’s ranking table, the home team looked disjointed and lacking in chemistry. Even so, they hit the woodwork twice and muffed other good scoring opportunities which had the sparse crowd at the national stadium raining down boos at the team at half-time and at the end of the match.

The most obvious question would then be isn’t it too late for the team to be working on chemistry? The United States, for example, easily the strongest team playing in Jamaica’s qualifying zone, this past weekend, smashed Scotland 5-1 as they prepared for the start of their campaign that will include matches against Jamaica, Guatemala and Antigua and Barbuda. It is true that Jamaica had won four matches in a row prior to Sunday night’s loss, but even the coaching staff will have to admit that not one of those matches inspired confidence.

In Jamaica’s last match before Sunday night, against Guyana’s Golden Jaguars, at the Catherine Hall Sports Complex in Montego Bay on May 18, they won courtesy of a Jeremy Lynch strike but the team was far from impressive. The performance had locals criticizing the play in the team’s midfield, which was absent again this past Sunday night, they questioned the play of the strikers, and they worried about the defensive line. On Sunday night, it was another ‘brain-freeze’ moment from the defense that literally stood and watched as Luis Renteria waltzed into the box and scored from a corner in the 17th minute to give Panama a 1-0 win.

But while the United States, a team that had its own struggles months ago as they assembled their squad, now seemed to be gelling at the right time, Jamaica is finding those same challenges now literally days bef0re the start of the campaign. This is not the time now for trial and error. This is the time when the team should have been gelling and looking to play football resembling what Jamaica produced during the Gold Cup last year when Jamaica dispatched the pesky Honduras and Guatemala before eventually falling to the United States.

Jamaica has one more match against Panama in Panama on June 1, before Guatemala arrives for the start of the Road to Rio campaign. It will have to use this match to get it’s strike force firing, it’s midfield showing up and its defenders on the same page. It will require almost a billion dollars to get Jamaica to Rio in 2014. Gate receipts will help provide a portion of that revenue but if those receipts are to have an impact, the Boyz will have to demonstrate that they deserve the public’s support. Jamaica still faces a massive economic crisis, money is hard to come by, and many expect those ticket prices to be high once the campaign begins. The Reggae Boyz will have to show marked improvement if they are going to have people come out in support, and with the competition expected to be intense home field advantage could play a crucial role.

The last thing that Captain Burrell, Theodore Whitmore and company would want is to be playing before an empty stadium when they need that ’12th player’ behind them. To do that, they have to do something to get them to show up in large number or the Road to Rio may just end with another failed attempt to get back to the World Cup.

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14 Responses to “WORRYING SIGNS FROM REGGAE BOYZ”

Sasha Fierce says:

May 29, 2012 at 6:30 pm

If we keep importing players a few weeks before competition how can we have a “team”? Add to that the fact the Whitmore seems incapable of putting the best squad together and not being able to motivate them or change tactic mid-game and you have disaster on your hands.

We have talented players on the island, maybe we just need to get them international exposure on a regular basis and grow the team organically.When guys know and like each other they play better together.
ManofGod says:

May 30, 2012 at 2:49 pm

Jamaica must learn how to keep the football for about 60 to 75 percent of the 90minutes of the game. We have some of the most skillful players in the world but we do no have a system of play,the game have evolve from what it was into what i call a game plays. Let me explain if you watch N.F.L, football every coach have playbook and i now see it in the EPL , SPAIN FOOTBALL, ITALIAN LEAGUE and other great league around the world. No longer a coach just put players and say try and score and win its way pass that and Jamaica football federation is blind to it,
when you see some of the best club teams play we marvel but Jamaica please understand they are playing in there system that was design for them to play. We need to send 6 of our best coaches overseas to be trained so that when they return they will create a system of play for skillful players we have , if you watch the best teams play sometime they attack, play position, sometime they back off the football and the killer player getting foul and staying down to ease the pressure and allow the coach to give them another play from the play book because they have scored and now the other team want to score on them.So if you watch carefully the new play which is given by the coach is to take them to final whistle of play, you will not only see them defend but will not give up the ball when they get it they will lure the other team to foul them and staying down. they will not try and score thus leaving the defenders open but will wait until the other team commit 9 players then they counter and get that 2 goal for insurance. So Jamaica have long way to go, and i think we do not need any brasil coach we need to invest in our local coaches by sending them overseas .
Everyone has the answer!! says:

May 30, 2012 at 6:07 pm

Sasha, maybe you should be Coach! Has Jamaica provided the necessities in order to put together a “winning” team as so many put it? NO! One game loss, and the Boyz are doomed? Really? You people(everyone with an opinion, everyone who knows best, everyone who has the answers) need to get a grip on life and reality!!..If it were any other Coach, you lot would be saying the same thing, INCAPABLE INCAPABLE INCAPABLE!!…Ever thought beyond the field, and more on whats going on behind the scenes? Think about it!!
gangster says:

May 31, 2012 at 10:33 am

it is really hard to see jamaica progressing to the next level,(1)every team ,no matter how great they are builds on chemistry and confidence,which i am sorry to say doesnt exist in this squad,(2)i have no problem with overseas players but now isnt the time to be experimenting ,i think all of that should have been done and over with the real squad should be standing up(3)jamaica cannot lose a game and then we all jump of the bandwagon ,true,but lose to who at this stage ,thats what count,look at mexico ,canada ,u.s.a ,who these teams play and beat.we are still playing some third rate team team for what ,and then getting our ass whoop,guyana game ,1 loveat home,wow, thats not even a moral victory, we lost.panama we were embarass and thats the fact.nothing is wrong with our local coaches we dont need an international coach, but,i say but,for god sake send them on some 3 months spell to soccer giants for them to gain experience.i am in usa an if i dont watch i listen my team ,yes the reggae boyz.for just a word of advise next 4 years try get the players to gel way before qualifiers,we have talent ,we have quality players but one player doesnt win matches team does and we dont have a team.peace out
Intelligent Signs!!!??? says:

May 31, 2012 at 6:39 pm

It’s the all too familiar refrain why we perform poorly: “We need to stop importing those foreigners.” You know what, us foreigners should stop importing the few exported Jamaican food and you would see how quickly the little money that the private sector coughs up for the team dissipate.

Jamaica’s football problem has little or nothing to do with the Jamaicans, born overseas, playing for us. Come on, 4 or 5 additions to the team are more detrimental than beneficial. I think not.

Where were these foreigners when the US (Mike Bradley) humiliated us in the Gold cup? Where are these foreigners when our club teams can’t make it to the group stage of the concacaf champions league-certainly the diverse exposure would help a club like port more? Did we have a bunch of foreigners when we failed to qualify for for the Olympics and got humiliated in the 2 U-17 and U-20 cups.

Anyway, the players are not world class but they should be good enough to beat most of the regional teams. The issue is the coach. Anyone who thinks we don’t need a more globally experienced coach need to learn the game beyond TV watching
saunchez says:

May 31, 2012 at 8:38 pm

ManofGod..where do you get this thing about Jamaica have some of the most skillful players in the world? where and when? who them? Jamaica dont have one single world class player .we have one player who is a member of a team in one of the top 5 European Leagues (Fuller)and he hardly ever starts.Jamaica have talented players relative to the CONCACAF region but to say we have some of the most skillful in the world is overstating things. there is no proof of that
saunchez says:

May 31, 2012 at 8:57 pm

US will win the group easily and Antigua will finish bottom so we are in a competition with Guatemala for the 2nd spot.this June 8 game will be the most critical.we must win that and then target 6pts from Antigua.10-12pts should be good enough for the next round. thats when the real thing start
RICK says:

June 2, 2012 at 2:25 pm

Jamaica needs an international coach.Winning the Caribbean cup was good and failure to reach the Gold Cup Final was a bit disappointing.We showed excellent form in the group stages of the Gold Cup. We should have improved from where we were at the Caribbean Cup and Gold Cup stage. Is it that we dont have the funds to hire an international coach? We should not be losing to a team like Panama at this stage, friendly match or not even though Panama has improved over the years.
RICK says:

June 2, 2012 at 2:43 pm

I respect Theodore Whitmore as a player but not as a coach.Jamaica has more players playing in international football now than before and we need to work with these players as a group to develop the chemistry.We should have been playing more friendly matches with teams such as USA and Mexico or teams similar to those 2 to know where we stand and how strong we are and what changes we can make to compete with them before World Cup qualifying start.Its not good enough to bring in foreign players just before the qualifying round start and expect them to gel.We shuold have had a core of players working with so that we could develop the chemistry. I feel that Jamaica is going to struggle in the 1st round of qualifying.
True dat says:

June 3, 2012 at 10:43 am

What u mean a team like panama… Main problem with Jamaica dem think dem more than reality. Jamaica has some adequate to good players in some second rate euro team dem no world beater mi yute

Panama has had good results at club and national level over the last 10 years making it to the last 5 U20 world cubs, the U17 wc and Uncaf champions and gold cup runner up and third place. National team players are from south American leagues like Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia and peru. Jamaica needs to learn that just because u can call up some epl ballaz dat nuh mek team pon pitch
Joseph says:

June 3, 2012 at 4:08 pm

Rick,

You mentioned Jamaica needs an international coach. Is it that we don’t have the funds to hire an international coach.you ask?

The JFF has found the money to bring in several and for a long time.

Jamaica had 4 and now has 3 international Brazilians who are really making an ‘impact on Jamaican football’. If you are in doubt of this look at all the results of their efforts with Tappa are very evident since their arrival.
rudy says:

June 9, 2012 at 7:55 am

Jamaica is in a group where if they focus and play there best soccer they should finish second or 1st the USA back line is very weak therefore with the talent Jamaica have up front they can pull an upset with USA
lionking topcat says:

June 9, 2012 at 4:40 pm

Sasha we need you to be part of the JFF.
jamaicans need to show pride when they wear the jersey and the government should in some way get involved in making sure after the school boy finals the all star players should if not given scholarship be employed by the government or like a draft pick where player can play for any club and get exposure i think there is a player trading thing in place but where building a national team is concerned we need them to eat drink think with and for each other, notice the best national teams have players that play together on a regular, [eg. spain, barca]. the young potentials should get employed by companies with teams or that sponsor a team. where they can develop and at the same time be away from illegal activities or the regular influences and next they should extend the business house beyond the corporate area involve companies from other parishes make it more competitive improve the player quality cause we dun know the youth dem full a skill but is how them use it pon di field we need fi develop. just my thoughts still, although it na go work over night
lionking topcat says:

June 9, 2012 at 5:37 pm

Jamaica worthless look at Japan we beat them at WC98 they been back to every world cup since what have we done? no ambition or heart something missing