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**Karl** · February 17, 2007, 09:55 AM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

The technical/tactical session was typical Bora - high intensity, an emphasis on concentration and intelligence - under the inquisitive eyes of local journalists

---->Technically gifted

+ intelligence (great problem solving skills & thus understanding of game/ and great tactical skills)

+ quickness (mind and movement) + mental strength (excellent powers of concentration = ability to 'stick with it')

+ physical strength (fitness and strength...ability to operate at optimum levels during course of matches. Yup...the mind retains 'sharpness' if physically one is in 'top shape' during periods of activity!)

+ continuous work against/with TOP OF THE WORLD TEAMs = TOP OF THE WORLD players & TEAM

Are we on the way?

FORWARD!

Aside: It never rains...but, it pours!

Men Seniors, U-17s & U-20s...

**Stonigut** · February 17, 2007, 01:20 PM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

We are in the midst of fundamental change, a change in mindset, what I have been bawling for the last 11 years, hard core discipline, get the combination of the best, brightest, fastest athletes we can find. An exciting ride lies ahead, I hopewe are all on board because this could well be the biggest opportunity to ramp Jakan ball to a whole notha level, which I have been waiting for forever.

**Karl** · February 17, 2007, 01:27 PM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

Stonigut (2/17/2007)We are in the midst of fundamental change, a change in mindset, what I have been bawling for the last 11 years, hard core discipline, get the combination of the best, brightest, fastest athletes we can find. An exciting ride lies ahead, I hopewe are all on board because this could well be the biggest opportunity to ramp Jakan ball to a whole notha level, which I have been waiting for forever.

We were slow to cash in on the 1994-1998 groundwork.

...and, there is still a far way to go.

...having all our 'teachers' and 'players' drink at the fountain of 'knowledge'.

...and, the creation of a professionally run JFF that will, among other things, 'envelop' the abundant talent scattered throughout the length and breath of the entire island!

Forward!

**Karl** · February 18, 2007, 10:20 AM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Bora's first test</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline>Boyz tackle hosts as Hong Kong tourney kicks off</SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>
Sunday, February 18, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>As China ushers in the 2007 Lunar New Year today, so too the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) will welcome the dawn of a new era with technical director Bora Milutinovic.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=120 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description></SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>The 62-year-old Serbian coach will take charge of his first Jamaica national team when the Reggae Boyz oppose a Hong Kong League XI in game one of the four-team Hong Kong Lunar New Year Cup tournament here at the Hong Kong National Stadium at 3:15 pm (2:15 am local time) today.
The second game, two hours later, will be between the Olympic teams of Australia and China.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The two winners will contest the final next Wednesday at the same venue, while the two losers battle for third place earlier that same day.
The highly respected and much travelled Bora, the only man to have coached five nations to the FIFA World Cup Finals, will finally get his chance to direct his charges on the pitch in a match fully three months after signing a contract to coach the Reggae Boyz in their qualification bid for the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Bora has admitted that he' had little time preparing this mixed group of players, and for now all he requests of them is intelligent football.
"Let's play the game, and be happy," is his charge to the Boyz.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"It is always performance that matters, not necessarily the result," he added. "To be a winner, you have to perform. If you don't perform you can't win games. When you are a winner, you know what to do in every moment. The winner is team spirit, the winner is attitude, the winner is organisation of the game, the winner is compromise of players, the winner is so many things," offered Bora.<P class=StoryText align=justify>He added that the players are making an "effort" and have "good attitude" - important ingredients to perform well. Still, he believes the players have good quality, but that they must continue to "work hard and improve everyday".
During the Boyz' half-field training sessions, Bora employed a 4-4-2 formation, but he insists formation is not important, only the intelligence of players.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"The football is not exact science. Soccer is a game and the winner is the team with the more intelligent players. With intelligent players, everything becomes much easier.<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=330 align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>Coach Milutinovic (right) and captain Donald Stewart at a recent training session in Jamaica (Photo: Karl McLarty) </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>"I can use any formation to enter the field, but during the game players need to know the game to realise what they need at every moment."And having opposed Hong Kong on a number of occasions, Bora is anticipating yet another competitive encounter.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"The Hong Kong team in reality is not the national players, it is a League X1 with a lot of foreign players, including Brazil, Argentina, Yugoslavia," he explained.
"Many times before my team play Hong Kong and mostly we won, but the games were usually so difficult."<P class=StoryText al

**Karl** · February 18, 2007, 10:24 AM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Revitalised Stewart humbled by elevation to skipper</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>
Sunday, February 18, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>When Donald Stewart proudly leads his team onto the pitch against the Hong Kong League XI here today, the quality of his performance as the team's point of reference will go a far way in determining its progress.
His is a story that could aptly be described as the proverbial "stone that the builder refused, which has now become the "head corner stone".<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=110 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>STEWART... I have the qualities to be leader </SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>Stewart, 31, is arguably the best defensive midfielder currently playing on the island, yet he has been overlooked by head coaches for the past eight years.<P class=StoryText align=justify>His love for the game and his invaluable leadership skills at premiership leaders Harbour View have not escaped new technical director Bora Milutinovic, who has insisted that he would be selecting players whom he considers "intelligent" ahead of others who might be more technically gifted.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Stewart, who first represented the Reggae Boyz senior team against Trinidad & Tobago in Canada 12 years ago, returns to the national team after eight years in the international wilderness, not only as a player, but as the man who will also wear the coveted captain's armband.
"Stewart will be the captain," replied Bora, as if suggesting there was no other option. "He's the eldest, I think he has so many good characteristics; he's a leader."<P class=StoryText align=justify>The Harbour View anchor midfielder, who last represented the Reggae Boyz when they visited Ghana under Brazilian Rene Simoes, expressed humility when he spoke to the Sunday Observer yesterday.
"It is a nice feeling to be back in the national team playing the game that I love," he said. "I never dreamt of being captain of the national team, but if that is what it takes then I will just have to deal with it. I have the qualities to be the leader and I will just have to flow with it, but it is a great honour for me."<P class=StoryText align=justify>He says his role in the team now is to "share" his experiences so that together they can grow as a unit, while facilitating the improvement of each member.
Stewart has been there and done that. He has represented Jamaica at both the Under-20 and Under-23 levels, before moving on to being a regular member of the Reggae Boyz squad until 1999.<P class=StoryText align=justify>He went to the World Cup Finals in France in 1998 as one of eight reserves players outside the mandatory 22-man squad.
That experience was bitter/sweet for him, as he felt hurt not to have claimed a spot in the final squad, but he says it is something he doesn't wish to comment on publicly.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Since then he was never given another chance, having performed creditably in the holding midfield role at the club level in Jamaica.
Despite the hurt, the man who was a standout for Jamaica College in the Manning Cup at central defence, said he had no choice but to soldier on "because that was my livelihood".<P class=StoryText align=justify>Now he says he holds no grudges against the coaches who didn't think he was good enough to earn a place in the pool of players. "I had to just keep doing my thing," he said, almost subconsciously willing himself to believe that he would get another chance.
After all, he is a renowned battler, who won the fight for his life, when, as a promising schoolboy player in 1994, he suf

OJ · February 18, 2007, 11:53 AM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

Is there anything behind the issuing of nike boots to the players? is nike the new sponsor.. Thats not a bad thing.

**Karl** · February 18, 2007, 11:58 AM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

<H2><SPAN class=mw-headline>Participating teams</SPAN></H2><UL><LI> Australia Olympic Team (first appearance) <LI> China Olympic Team (first appearance) <LI> Hong Kong League XI (host) <LI> Jamaica Olympic Team (first appearance) </LI>[/list]

<A id=Squads name=Squads></A><H2><SPAN class=mw-headline>Squads</SPAN></H2>

<A id=Australia_Olympic_Team name=Australia_Olympic_Team></A><H3><SPAN class=mw-headline> Australia Olympic Team</SPAN></H3><UL><LI>Head Coach: Robert Baan <LI>Assistant Coach: Graham Arnold <LI>Goalkeeper Coach: Tony Franken <LI>Team Manager: Gary Moretti <LI>Doctor: Marc Cesana <LI>Equipment Manager: Dominic Rabsch <LI>Physiotherapist: Philip Coles <LI>Conditioner / Masseur: Paul Scott </LI>[/list]<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="90%" bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#aad0ff><TH width="6%">No.</TH><TH width="6%">Pos.</TH><TH width="30%">Player</TH><TH width="22%">DoB/Age</TH><TH width="6%">Caps</TH><TH width="30%">Club</TH></TR><TR><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">1</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><A title="Goalkeeper (football)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w

**Karl** · February 18, 2007, 06:58 PM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

<DIV align=justify>The Hong Kong Football Association has invited the Australia, China and Jamaica Olympic teams to compete along with the Hong Kong League XI for the 2007 Lunar New Year Cup.

Both Australia and Jamaica are preparing for the qualifying tournaments for the 2008 Olympic Games in the hope of joining the hosts, who are currently holding a training camp in Europe.
</DIV><DIV align=justify>The tournament marks the return to Hong Kong of Velibor ‘Bora’ Milutinovic, who masterminded China qualifying for their first ever World Cup finals. The only man to take charge of five different World Cup teams, Bora - or ‘Milu’ as he is known throughout the Mainland - will coach the Jamaican squad as they tune up ahead of CONCACAF’s Beijing 2008 qualifying competition.</DIV><DIV align=justify>
Australia, who reached the quarter-finals in Athens in 2004, will be using Hong Kong as their base for much of the month. After playing the home leg of their first round qualifier against Chinese Taipei they will immediately fly to the SAR to begin their own training camp. They will base themselves in Hong Kong from the 8<SUP>th</SUP> to 13<SUP>th</SUP> February 2007 before playing the away leg in Chinese Taipei on the 14<SUP>th</SUP>. </DIV><DIV align=justify>
The 2007 Lunar New Year Cup will be played over the first and fourth day of the Lunar New Year holiday (18<SUP>th</SUP> and 21<SUP>st</SUP> February 2007) at the Hong Kong Stadium. The tournament will be in knockout format. The schedule of play includes two matches on the first day of Lunar New Year (18<SUP>th</SUP> February 2007) and the 3<SUP>rd</SUP>/4<SUP>th</SUP> Play-off and Final on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year (21<SUP>st</SUP> February 2007).
</DIV>

**Karl** · February 18, 2007, 07:45 PM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

Lunar New Year Cup 2007
HK League XI 1:1 Jamaica (pen 3:5)
China 2:0 Australia <P style="TEXT-INDENT: 32px" align=justify><P class=news_abstract>Jamaica Olympic Team defeated Hong Kong League XI in the penalty shootout by 5:3 after a 1:1 draw in 90 minutes, while China Olympic Team defeated Australia Olympic Team by 2:0 in the Lunar New Year Cup 2007 held at Hong Kong Stadium today (18 February, 2007).
<HR color=#c0c0c0 noShade SIZE=1><TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right colSpan=2></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

**Mosiah** · February 19, 2007, 09:51 AM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

<DIV>

Stonigut (2/17/2007) get the combination of the best, brightest, fastest athletes we can find.

</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>Why do you think our coaches were not always looking for such a combination?</DIV>

**Karl** · February 19, 2007, 01:59 PM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

Mosiah (2/19/2007) <DIV>

Stonigut (2/17/2007) get the combination of the best, brightest, fastest athletes we can find.

</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>Why do you think our coaches were not always looking for such a combination?</DIV>

Answer

a)Perhaps, while at school...they were also not encouraged to think ofapproaching 'learning' football as per any other subject? ...and, that has hindered their thinking on the game even as they ply their trade as coaches? :w00t:

b) Perhaps, they had a difficulty persuading the brightest and the best to 'come play ball'?

**Mosiah** · February 19, 2007, 02:04 PM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

And in 2 months, what has Bora done differently?

**Karl** · February 19, 2007, 02:17 PM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

Mosiah (2/19/2007)And in 2 months, what has Bora done differently?

Well like CB and myself he made them know formations are overrated...but, sensible thinking - what did he say, something about intelligence?

-is whatit isall about!

Seriously I do not think Bora could ahve done much in 2 months...but, impose with his selections,types of players he believes 'play football'.

Could it be he chose 'thinkers'?

I haven't a clue - Just asking!

**Mosiah** · February 19, 2007, 02:23 PM

RE: Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

Karl (2/19/2007)

Mosiah (2/19/2007)And in 2 months, what has Bora done differently?

Well like CB and myself he made them know formations are overrated...but, sensible thinking - what did he say, something about intelligence?

-is whatit isall about!

Seriously I do not think Bora could ahve done much in 2 months...but, impose with his selections,types of players he believes 'play football'.

Could it be he chose 'thinkers'?

I haven't a clue - Just asking!

I think I was the one who has being saying from a longer time that "formations are overrated". But let's not fight!

I think Stonigut's comments may have been a little over the top. They seem a little like whatever Bora does must be good, afterall him is a fariner and him white.

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Bora preps Boyz for Hong Kong opener

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