Is this a record???

[USAF]

There are 12 Jamaicans on active rosters to start the MLS 2013 season:

D.C. - Michael Seaton (F) - He is 16
Houston - Omar Cummings (F); Jason Johnson (F); Jermaine Taylor (D)
Toronto - Ashton Bennett (F)
Colorado - Deshorn Brown (F)
Dallas - Je-Vaughn Watson (M)
Portland - Ryan Johnson (F); Donovan Ricketts (GK)
Salt Lake - Lovel Palmer (D/M); Khari Stephenson (M)
Vancouver - Darren Mattocks (F)

*With 7 forwards, it seems you have no problems developing in that area, but where are the play makers/creative midfielders and defenders???

NOTE: Andy Williams is Head Scout for Real Salt Lake.

[Assasin]

Maybe but two years ago you had Andy, Tyrone, Saun Francis, Dicoy etc playing.

I said over the pass 10 years Jermaine Taylor is the only defender I can think of at this stage with a proven track record at this level.

[USAF]

Andy has been the only real creative mid that had a career in the MLS, and Tyrone & Jermaine are the only consistent defenders. Saun and Dicoy didn't even last 3 seasons and weren't starters.

If you look at the ReggaeBoyz, the same picture is there - Forwards that came through the Jamaican "system", but the only creative mid/play maker is Hue, and he's on the tail end of his career.
Now, why is there such a lack of Jamaican creative mids/play makers???

[Dunny]

Andy has been the only real creative mid that had a career in the MLS, and Tyrone & Jermaine are the only consistent defenders. Saun and Dicoy didn't even last 3 seasons and weren't starters.

If you look at the ReggaeBoyz, the same picture is there - Forwards that came through the Jamaican "system", but the only creative mid/play maker is Hue, and he's on the tail end of his career.
Now, why is there such a lack of Jamaican creative mids/play makers???

Simple answer, poor coaching in early stage of player development.

[Mosiah]

That may be part of it but I believe there are other reasons.

I dare say we are not considered a place our footballers can combine skill and smarts. It's a bit like back in the day when a black athlete would not even think about becoming a quarterback.

The requests are pouring in for strikers from Jamaica, rarely for playmakers, defenders and goalkeepers. I think our strength and speed are admired for the striker position, and defence to some extent.

If other countries' leagues have limited space for foreigners, they are going to go for the foreign players whose positions they don't think they can fill adequately enough with their local players.

[Assasin]

we currently have a good amount of goalie in the pro and the one at UCONN going in the pro. I think the problem is how others see our defenders. No tack, no knowledge of the game. They mainly buy our forwards on the fact that they have speed and can shoot. You don't buy a lot of defender for that and aggressiveness.

[HL]

Yeah...the quality defensive plays I have seen on display is not good.

Pure cane-cutter bizniz . No tact on their part Assasin.

[Stonigut]

Come on now Mo, this is all about what you bring to the table, somehow we have developed the most skilled position with the slowest , one sided players, think Hue, daley and .........................................Andy Williams (had to separate them, can't put andy in same sentence with those guys)

Andy had enough savvy and pure determination to keep grinding through it all even though he was never fully appreciated until he got to Salt Lake. But I have always contended that Andy with more speed and more combativeness would have been one hell of a great player, Andy with speed could have been a world beater in my books.

Funny thing is we have not produced a better player than Andy as a creative mid in the last 25-30 years, actually we have not even produced one other player at that position who has even made a professional football league since Andy in 1998, what that really means is not a player that has played that position in high school or in the npl, that means a pro club is paying their hard earned money for a player to play the position, up to now that is only andy, we have a wicked gap to cross in this area, much as we think we produce great skilled midfielders, not one has stuck a landing on a pro side. What that means is we have no idea what a good creative midfielder looks like or how to identify one!

[Mosiah]

Come on now Mo, this is all about what you bring to the table...

I am saying they have not even been invited to the table!

Yes, you can say Andy was our best in the last 25 years because he was in the MLS for so long. I say he was the luckiest!

[OJ]

How many teams in the MLS plays with a play making midfielder? I think you still see more of a ball winner , destroyer approach than quaterback. So when you look at it the Jermain Hue are a luxry compare to a Jevauhn who is a two way player. I think it is more about culture than anything else. When you look at the current captain for Guaetamala Carlos Ruiz who was released from TFC and DC United and some would say did not cut it in the MLS but in my view one of the better players in the Hex right now. Its more about the MLS and less about our develoment.

[Me]

Well he certainly outperformed all our other players in that position who came after him. Others got their chance and didn't really do much.

[Assasin]

Two things. Where are these creative mid we creating going? Talk about Akeem, Dada etc. It is not just about MLS development. These players haven't deliver anywhere but NPL and don't think for one minute Watson have delivered either.

We are woefully lacking in Defense and Mid. Rudy would have no problem in most leagues. Our Midfielders struggle in every league unless they play wide.
We don't have any midfielder who can stand up in the middle of any field Offensively or defensively except Rudi and Hue on the offensive side. Morrison is a knockofff and Watson hasn't delivered anything.

Put them on the wing and it might be different but we area woeful in that are of the park in terms of development.

[Mosiah]

Disagree!

[Mosiah]

Good point!

[USAF]

Mosiah & OJ:

It is not just about your creative/attacking mids not making it in the MLS.......Besides Whitmore, who is now the ReggaeBoyz coach, name another of your attacking/creative midfielders who has had a successful or meaningful career in a recognized professional league???

* I can name goalkeepers, defenders, defensive mids and forwards, but the only two ReggaeBoyz attacking/creative mids are Andy and Tappa, and both are retired.