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Why did the U-20 footballers fail?
From the Sports Desk
By Howard Walker Observer staff reporter
Sunday, March 22, 2009
THE country plunged into disbelief after the National Under-20 footballers failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup recently, needing just a draw but crashing 0-4 to Honduras in their final qualifying match in Trinidad.
Interestingly, the same set of youngsters failed to qualify for the Under-17 World Cup two years ago under (late) coach David Hunt, playing at home.
That time, the young Boyz entered the final game needing a win against Trinidad and Tobago, but lost. They were riding on a high after defeating USA 3-2 at 'The Office'.
Fast forward to 2009 and the nation still has not qualified a team to any World Cup Finals since 2001. Playing in Group A in Tobago, Jamaica lost their first game 0-3 to the USA, defeated El Salvador 2-1 with nine men for 34 minutes and lost 0-4 to Honduras.
With the fingers already pointing, the question is, Why did we fail to qualify?
Last Thursday, the JFF Technical Committee headed by Howard McIntosh, reviewed and deliberated on the reports from everybody involved in the final round in Tobago.
Head coach Donovan Duckie and assistant Lenworth Hyde; youth coordinators Patrick Walters and Leebert Halliman; team manager Roy Simpson; Head of Delegation Linnell McLean and JFF general secretary Horace Reid submitted reports.
The blame game will not end, but a look behind the scenes could be instructive.
It started a couple of months ago when the JFF tried to replaced Duckie but encountered a revolt from the players who declared that they wouldn't play unless Duckie was in charge, to which the JFF conceded. He had been with the team in camp for 11 months after taking over from Brazilian Alfredo Montesso.
But the JFF was in no mood to take all this lying down as too much was at stake and this was the last chance for the current administration to send a team to the World Cup Finals.
Captain Horace Burrell demanded that his lieutenant, Horace Reid, take charge of the Under-20s following reports that manager Simpson and Duckie had had a heated argument in Florida during practice matches a week before the team left for Trinidad and Tobago.
A meeting was held and Burrell ordered Reid, who refused at first, to take charge. So in Tobago, Reid was the man in charge. Praises can't be too high for Reid as he had done everything in his power to help qualify this outfit.
But it might well have been a case of too many cooks spoiling the proverbial broth.
Duckie and Hyde went through the training sessions under the watchful eyes of Reid and co-ordinators Walters and Halliman, but it was clearly an uncomfortable situation as the coaches may have felt they were under scrutiny.
The crucial game against Honduras saw a major tactical blunder, and though the coaches will perhaps argue they were not playing for a draw, it was evident they were.
Jamaica started the game with livewire Alanzo Adlam and the towering Reneil Sappleton up front; four midfielders in Evan Taylor, John-Ross Doyley, Romario Campbell and Andre Campbell; plus defenders Keithy Simpson, Damaine Thompson, Leaughn Williams and Christopher Banner.
Adlam was asked to shut down Honduras' most creative player operating from left midfield, makes me wonder what's the purpose of right-back Williams - a good player and arguably Jamaica's best in the tournament - and right-sided midfielder Romario Campbell.
Jamaica were using their most lethal striker (in the absence of Dever Orgill) in a marking position. It worked for a while but they were never in the game offensively as Sappleton was left on his own against four defenders.
The best form of defence is attack; had Jamaica played their normal game, they could have put pressure on a Honduras team that conceded two goals to El Salvador, the weakest team in the group.
Patience was another factor which led to the team being exposed at the back too early and being caught on the counter-attack. And all this time, goalscoring opportunities were popping up but were not taken.
Whose idea was that? Duckie would certainly have to take the blame, but was it his decision alone? Certainly not. The head coach was said to be arrogant and 'don't like listening to what people say', but the blame cannot be his alone.
From the Sports Desk
By Howard Walker Observer staff reporter
Sunday, March 22, 2009
THE country plunged into disbelief after the National Under-20 footballers failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup recently, needing just a draw but crashing 0-4 to Honduras in their final qualifying match in Trinidad.
Interestingly, the same set of youngsters failed to qualify for the Under-17 World Cup two years ago under (late) coach David Hunt, playing at home.
That time, the young Boyz entered the final game needing a win against Trinidad and Tobago, but lost. They were riding on a high after defeating USA 3-2 at 'The Office'.
Fast forward to 2009 and the nation still has not qualified a team to any World Cup Finals since 2001. Playing in Group A in Tobago, Jamaica lost their first game 0-3 to the USA, defeated El Salvador 2-1 with nine men for 34 minutes and lost 0-4 to Honduras.
With the fingers already pointing, the question is, Why did we fail to qualify?
Last Thursday, the JFF Technical Committee headed by Howard McIntosh, reviewed and deliberated on the reports from everybody involved in the final round in Tobago.
Head coach Donovan Duckie and assistant Lenworth Hyde; youth coordinators Patrick Walters and Leebert Halliman; team manager Roy Simpson; Head of Delegation Linnell McLean and JFF general secretary Horace Reid submitted reports.
The blame game will not end, but a look behind the scenes could be instructive.
It started a couple of months ago when the JFF tried to replaced Duckie but encountered a revolt from the players who declared that they wouldn't play unless Duckie was in charge, to which the JFF conceded. He had been with the team in camp for 11 months after taking over from Brazilian Alfredo Montesso.
But the JFF was in no mood to take all this lying down as too much was at stake and this was the last chance for the current administration to send a team to the World Cup Finals.
Captain Horace Burrell demanded that his lieutenant, Horace Reid, take charge of the Under-20s following reports that manager Simpson and Duckie had had a heated argument in Florida during practice matches a week before the team left for Trinidad and Tobago.
A meeting was held and Burrell ordered Reid, who refused at first, to take charge. So in Tobago, Reid was the man in charge. Praises can't be too high for Reid as he had done everything in his power to help qualify this outfit.
But it might well have been a case of too many cooks spoiling the proverbial broth.
Duckie and Hyde went through the training sessions under the watchful eyes of Reid and co-ordinators Walters and Halliman, but it was clearly an uncomfortable situation as the coaches may have felt they were under scrutiny.
The crucial game against Honduras saw a major tactical blunder, and though the coaches will perhaps argue they were not playing for a draw, it was evident they were.
Jamaica started the game with livewire Alanzo Adlam and the towering Reneil Sappleton up front; four midfielders in Evan Taylor, John-Ross Doyley, Romario Campbell and Andre Campbell; plus defenders Keithy Simpson, Damaine Thompson, Leaughn Williams and Christopher Banner.
Adlam was asked to shut down Honduras' most creative player operating from left midfield, makes me wonder what's the purpose of right-back Williams - a good player and arguably Jamaica's best in the tournament - and right-sided midfielder Romario Campbell.
Jamaica were using their most lethal striker (in the absence of Dever Orgill) in a marking position. It worked for a while but they were never in the game offensively as Sappleton was left on his own against four defenders.
The best form of defence is attack; had Jamaica played their normal game, they could have put pressure on a Honduras team that conceded two goals to El Salvador, the weakest team in the group.
Patience was another factor which led to the team being exposed at the back too early and being caught on the counter-attack. And all this time, goalscoring opportunities were popping up but were not taken.
Whose idea was that? Duckie would certainly have to take the blame, but was it his decision alone? Certainly not. The head coach was said to be arrogant and 'don't like listening to what people say', but the blame cannot be his alone.
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