| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Karl |
Posted - Apr 14 2003 : 11:49:02 AM
Ja hopes sink with 2-0 loss
published: Monday | April 14, 2003
By Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter
THE YOUNG Reggae Boyz yesterday left themselves with a mountain to climb in their quest for a place in the FIFA World Youth Championships in Finland later this year when they lost 0-2 to their Mexican Under 17 counterparts at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex.
A second leg qualifier is scheduled for Mexico on April 27 in Mexico City which has never been a happy hunting ground for outside footballers of even better standing in world football than Jamaica. Substitute Emilio Lopez Navarro put his team ahead in the 77th minute.
He was again involved in his team's second goal, putting in a lovely cross from the left which was turned on goal by Manuel Mariaca Cagigal for it to be finished off by another substitute, Pedro Osorio Vazquez, at the 88th minute.
Jamaica's technical director Carl Brown said his team was let down by poor finishing.
"We just did not put away our chances today," Brown said.
"We created some chances today but it is one of the things. If you talk about something worrying... it is the lack of power up front. Again we saw that was lacking out there today," he added.
While conceding that it will be very difficult for his team to get back in the World Championship frame, he was still able to take positives from the game. "I believe the team itself will recognise that they can compete with this Mexican team. It is going to be much tougher now that we are two goals down."
Humberto Grondona, the coach of Mexico, said through an interpreter that it was a good game and that his team will play attacking football on the return leg.
Mexico, despite not looking like a team of the highest order, appeared a far more organised unit than the Young Boyz who looked like a dis-jointed bunch. Even with their style of play Jamaica continued to create chances and half chances with Miller having two drives on goal.
His first in the 28th minute with the right boot from just outside the area was tipped for a corner. A left-footer on the stroke of half time curled just outside the left upright.
Mexico clearly had the better of the second half and could have taken lead in the 48th minute but Murguia Mongalez fired just wide at the last minute under a challenge from Keneil Moodie.
The game swung further in the favour of Mexico with the substitution of Philip Hall for Christopher Williams. Hall, whose substitution was met with displeasure by a large section of the crowd, was having a good game in a controlling role and the score was 0-0 at the time.
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| 1 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Karl |
Posted - Apr 18 2003 : 12:06:28 AM
Mexico topple Jamaica 2:0, grab early series lead
13.04.03 - Mexico scored two goals in the final quarter hour to defeat hosts Jamaica 2:0 in Kingston in the first leg of the playoff series that will determine the winner of the final CONCACAF berth to this summer’s FIFA Under-17 World Championship, to be played in Finland.
The tricolores will take their considerable advantage into their home leg of the playoff, scheduled for Saturday 26 April at Estadio Azul in Mexico City. The winner of the Mexico-Jamaica tie will join USA and Costa Rica, who had previously qualified, as the three CONCACAF representatives on the world stage.
Jamaica first threatened in the seventh minute as Bryan Bayliss got behind the Mexico defence. However, instead of crossing the ball inside to two waiting teammates, he opted to shoot from an impossible angle, the ball going wide of its target.
The young Reggae Boyz threatened twice more in the opening half, their best chance coming on the half hour as Donovan Miller’s left-footed blast from 25 yards forced a lunging stop from Mexico ‘keeper José Alamo, barely able to tip the ball over the bar for a corner to keep the match scoreless at the interval.
The game belonged to the visitors from the outset of the second half as they made numerous forays into Jamaica's wavering defence in search of goals, controlling the pace and threatening several times before Jamaica ‘keeper Duwayne Kerr was finally beaten in the 77th minute. Substitute Emilio Navarro drilled a low left-footed shot from just outside the penalty area which deflected off a defender before going in.
Controlling the momentum after Navarro’s goal, Mexico put the match out of reach just two minutes from time when striker Pedro Osorio found the back of the net behind Kerr.
Despite their efforts, Jamaica were unable to cut into the Mexico lead, leaving them with an uphill battle in 13 days to secure the final Confederation berth in Finland.
JAMAICA – MEXICO 0:2 (0:0)
Emilio NAVARRO 77’; Pedro OSORIO 88’
JAM: Duwayne Kerr – Andrew Fraser, Keniel Moodie (79: Ricardo Ximines), Ricardo Cousins, Donovan Miller, Richard Kentish, Steven Morrissey, Kemar Munroe, Marlow Benbow, Philip Hall (66: Christopher Williams), Bryan Bayliss (63: Anthony Christie). Booked: Kentish 61’; Fraser 85’.
MEX: José Álamo – David Cavazos, Luis Robles, Alberto Ramírez, David Sánchez, Samuel Herrera (55: Emilio Navarro), Diego Encarnación, Rafael Murguia (80: Pedro Osorio), Julio Ceja (77: José Alberto Santiago), Manuel Mariaca, Diego Jiménez.
R: Kevin STOTT (USA)
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