Déjà vu - Another defeat and a Boyz coach loses his job...

[Karl]

éjà vu - Another defeat and a Boyz coach loses his job in Honduras

Whitmore: We didn’t create any clear-cut chances

Thursday, June 13, 2013

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — There was an eerie sense of expectancy as Jamaica's Reggae Boyz returned to their team base at the Real Intercontinental Hotel on Tuesday night following their 0-2 loss to Honduras, and with it almost certain elimination from the Brazil World Cup Finals next summer.

And when Jamaica Football Federation president Captain Horace Burrell told members of the media that he was "contemplating a meeting" for later that night, it all appeared to be dé jávu.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Theodore Whitmore departs following the Reggae Boyz’ 2-0 loss to Honduras on Tuesday night. (PHOTO: JOSEPH WELLINGTON)

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras' Emilio Izaguirre (left) shakes hands with Jamaica's Alvas Powell at the end of their CONCACAF World Cup qualifying match here on Tuesday night. Honduras won 2-0. (PHOTO: AP)
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Jamaican striker Ryan Johnson (left) gets ready to make a move on Honduras’s Juan Montes during their CONCACAF World Cup qualifying match here on Tuesday night. Honduras won 2-0.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Jamaica’s Je-Vaughn Watson (centre) goes down from a challenge from Honduras’ Juan Montes during their CONCACAF World Cup qualifying match here on Tuesday night. Honduras won 2-0. (PHOTOS: JOSEPH WELLINGTON)



As it was in this same country, on October 11, 2008, that Captain Burrell fired then technical director, Brazilian Rene Simoes after a string of poor performances from the team. Coincidentally, it was current head coach Theodore Whitmore, who was tasked with guiding the team for the three remaining matches in the campaign, which he duly won.

Now, after four losses on the trot, when asked if he feared being fired by Captain Burrell, Whitmore laughed as he told the media on Tuesday night what he has always said.

"Listen, man, once you're hired you can be fired, but as long as I'm here I'll keep on doing what I have to do and I'll fight to the end," he said.

The coach, who became the first to inflict defeat on the USA and the first to score a point away at the much vaunted Azteca in Mexico City, admitted that he was disappointed with the result and all that has happened in recent times.
"I'm very disappointed, but in the circumstances we just have to work and fight to the end. We just have to pick up the pieces and, hopefully, in September we'll have back some of our more influential players, so we just have to keep fighting."

The defeat was Jamaica's fourth in a row and it left the Caribbean island on two points in last place, eight off leaders the United States of America, who slammed Panama 2-0 at the CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington. Costa Rica, who held hosts Mexico 0-0 at the Azteca for their fourth goalless result in the round, share second place on eight points, with Honduras next with seven points and Panama in fifth place on six points.

Whitmore added that his technical staff has a lot of concerns about the team, but time didn't allow them to do what they wanted to do or the players they wanted to do it with.

Regarding Tuesday's game, he noted that the team started poorly and after conceding the early goal the players started believing in themselves and the team looked better, but for the consistent giving away of possession.

"The Hondurans gave us a lot of space to play and we didn't utilise it, and we didn't create any clear-cut opportunities as well, so I think that basically summed up the performance."

In an effort to try and get back into the game, the head coach sought to explain the thinking behind the substitutions.

"We tried to play three at the back with Alvas (Powell), (Adrian) Mariappa and (Daniel) Gordon, and we brought four into midfield with (Jermaine) Beckford, Theo Robinson and (Darren) Mattocks up front and tried a bit of pace to run at the Hondurans, but I didn't think that happened and late in the game we were pushing and we had the Hondurans on the back foot, but unfortunately we lost Mariappa and we had to make the adjustment and that opened us a bit and the Hondurans came at us and got clear-cut opportunities," he explained.

In a game which the Reggae Boyz had to win to keep any realistic hopes of a second appearance at the FIFA World Cup Finals, they went behind through a 10th-minute opener from Oscar Garcia, and two minutes from the end, sloppy defending gifted striker Roger Rojas the simple task of rounding goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts to make the game safe, after the visitors had battled resolutely after the dismissal of central defender Mariappa in the 76th minute.
"When we went down to 10 players I thought we needed a more holding player to release Rodolph Austin and that was the decision behind that. If we weren't down to 10 men, then we could inject a Jermaine Hue, who would go on the field and keep the possession we were lacking."

Meanwhile, the coach said that Jermaine Johnson, who was visibly upset at his substitution, had a free role to play because of the three other midfielders on the pitch. But he thought that the home side was attacking down Johnson's side and so they thought about putting Austin on that side and give a more central position with Marvin Elliott to Damion Williams.

But overall, Whitmore said the technical staff just had to work with the quality at its disposal.

"What we have we just have to work with it," he said. "It is not like we have a team where we can work around the clock; we always get a team a couple of days to work," he explained.

Whitmore at the same time is convinced that the loss of some key players condemned his team to the cellar position.

"We lost some key players, some influential players and this has brought us to the position we are in now, but it is football and a situation we can't do anything about.

"We failed to keep possession of the ball and we lacked patience in our game, especially when we conceded that goal we wanted to rush forward, but was giving away the football. The Hondurans gave us a lot of room to play and we didn't," he reiterated.

Teams:

Jamaica — (1) Donovan Ricketts (captain), (2) Daniel Gordon, (19) Adrian Mariappa, (3) O'Brian Woodbine, (5) Alvas Powell, (4) Marvin Elliott, (17) Rodolph Austin, (8) Jermaine Johnson (21 Damion Williams 73rd), (15) Je-Vaighn Watson (14 Theo Robinson 60th), (7) Jermaine Beckford), (9) Ryan Johnson (11 Darren Mattocks 60th).

Subs not used: (13) Dwayne Miller (GK), (23) Andre Blake (GK), (21)Adrian Reid, (6) Montrose Phinn, (12) Evan Taylor, (22) Garath McCleary, (10) Keammar Daley, (20) Jermie Lynch, (16) Omar Daley, (18) Jermaine Hue
Booked: Woodbine (51st), Jermaine Johnson (53rd), Mariappa (67th, ejected (red) 76th), Ricketts (77th)

Honduras — (18) Noel Valladores (captain), (4) Juan Montes, (5) victor Bernardez, (12) Arnold Peralta, (7) Emilio Izaguirre (6 Juan Garcia 87th), (19) Luis Garrido, (15) Roger Espinoza, (8) Wilson Palacios, (14) Oscar Garcia (9 Marvin Chavez, 29th), (21) Roger Rojas, (10) Mario Martinez (20 Jorge Claros 74th)

Subs not used: (1) Kevin Hernandez, (22) Donis Escober, (6) Juan Garcia, (3) Bryan Beckles, (2) Jose Velasquez, (23) Orlin Peralta, (11) Jerry Bengston, (16) Andy Najar, (20) Jorge Claros, (17) Rony Martinez, 913) Diego Reyes.
Booked: Garrido (31st), Bernardez (44th), Rony Martinez (53rd)

Referee: Marco Rodriquez (Mexico)
Assistant Referee 1: Marvin Torrentera (Mexico)
Assistant Referee 2: Marcus Quintero (Mexico)
Fourth Official: Ricardo Arellano (Mexico)



Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz2W6klt4Ee

[Karl]

Boyz get heavy bashing from local experts

Boyz get heavy bashing from local experts

BY HOWARD WALKER Observer Senior Reporter walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, June 13, 2013

It's the same old story: No cohesiveness, wrong selection of players and lack of leadership were just some of the terms used to describe Jamaica's latest World Cup qualification debacle as the Boyz crashed 0-2 to Honduras on Tuesday night in Tegucigalpa.

Dr Dean Weatherly, a former national youth coach and current man in charge of Montego Bay United and Harbour View assistant coach Harold Thomas, did the post mortem of the Theodore Whitmore-led Reggae Boyz.

WEATHERLY... there was no real cohesiveness between the players

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Jamaica's Jermaine Johnson (top) is tackled by Honduras' Luis Garrido as he was about to shoot during their CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier here on Tuesday night. Honduras won 2-0. (PHOTO: AP)




"There was no real cohesiveness between the players. I don't know what the coaching staff had asked them to do. If it was a win, win situation, I thought they would have a more mature approach," said Weatherly.

"Sometimes what a coach tells you to do, you as the professionals are on the field and football is a dynamic system, it's not necessarily pen and pencil or blackboard Xs and Os that will pull through. You the player sometimes will have to take the bull by the horn, and deal with the situation. Apart from Donovan (Ricketts), I didn't see anybody in the outfield taking command of the situation, saying 'let's deal with it'," he added.

"Theodore was that type of player. So I don't know if he never saw himself in anybody of all the players that he looked at. You are out there feeling it, and coaches understand that sometimes. Sometimes you are coaching and you can't see what is wrong. I didn't see any leader on the field. Nobody out there showed leadership," Weatherly emphasised.

Meanwhile, Thomas said it was painful to watch the game and said probably the pressure got to the players.

"Over the years we have depended a lot on our wingbacks coming forward and the fact that we have two inexperienced wingbacks, especially Alvas Powell who is very young, very talented but young and inexperienced (and that) affected us last night (Tuesday)," he pointed out.

The man who helped guide Harbour View to their fourth title this year, identified a few changes from the last US game that should not have been made.

"The problem is, even though we lost the game against the United States, we had some positives coming out of that game with the performance of 'Teddy' Johnson and Jermaine Hue.

"We dropped Jermaine (Hue) in last night's game for what reason I don't know. I think this game was more suited to him than the last two he played in. In addition to that, the zone that Teddy was allowed to operate in with three forwards certainly never played into his talents," Thomas noted.

"When our three forwards went forward, none of them, especially the wingers, came back to help the midfield, and the Hondurans launched most of their attacks from the wide midfield areas which pulled Alvas especially and created a lot of space behind us," he added.

"Jermaine (Hue) would have been a better option in one of the midfield (positions) and I also think that the formation of 4-4-2 would have served us greater there. I would not have gone for Ryan Johnson when you look at the ammunition that we had on the bench. I thought Mattocks would have been a better option if we could keep him in the middle of the field rather than dragging him to the flanks. I would have started Jermaine Hue, Darren Mattocks and kept Teddy in that midfield role," said Thomas.

"Our energy level was definitely down and we weren't as sharp as the last two games and that was probably as a result of the three games in eight days. Looking at that, a greater rotation might have helped there. We had players in the pool that had not played and at that point that would have been a good idea if the recovery wasn't there."

Thomas did find some positives in the defeat in the performance of Rodolph Austin who he thought proved that he could play a lone central role, allowing more creative midfielders on the park.

"Austin was a lot more aggressive, which showed that we could have used him in that anchor role. I think the changes were misguided and there is no way we could bring on a central midfielder (Damian Williams) in the game when we were behind the eight ball and looking goals with so much attacking firepower on the bench.

"Also, having seen the minutes that he (Jermaine Beckford) has got in the campaign so far, it would have been nice to have somebody, a real speed ball like Jeremy Lynch, not because he is a Harbour View player, but the Hondurans were far from their best and when they lost the ball they were there for the counter-attacks," he reiterated.


Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz2W6mIOHbI

[Karl]

Western football officials weigh in on Whitmore's departure

Western football officials weigh in on Whitmore's departure

BY PAUL A REID Observer Writer
Thursday, June 13, 2013


MONTEGO BAY, St James — Former Reggae Boyz midfielder Hector Wright said he would have advised his former teammate Theodore Whitmore not to resign but to stay on and complete his job.


Wright, who partnered with Whitmore in the Jamaican midfield for several years, questioned the message that was being sent to Whitmore's successor as national coach after his resignation yesterday following Jamaica's loss to Honduras in their CONCACAF final round World Cup qualifier in Tegucigalpa Tuesday night.

Former Reggae Boyz head coach Theodore Whitmore talks to reporters after the team’s 2-0 defeat to Honduras on Tuesday night. (PHOTO: JOSEPH WELLINGTON)




"No one in their right mind would want to take up that job now seeing how Whitmore was treated and with four games to go," Wright told the Jamaica Observer.

The former national player was one of several western-based football personalities who gave contrasting views on the news that Whitmore had stepped down after the team suffered four straight losses and were sitting at the bottom of the tables on just two points.

Wright, who returned to the island recently after a stint in the United States, and now plays for North Gully Ambassadors in the St James Football Association's Sandals/ATL Senior League, said he did not think that Whitmore's move was the "right one at this time with four games still to go", and argued that some of the poor results the team achieved should not be blamed on the coach.

"Look at the goal we conceded against Mexico and the first one against the USA (both at home), how can you blame the coach for that? It is obvious (the goals) came from miscommunication between the goalkeeper and the defenders, nothing to do with the coach," Wright said.

Former JFF vice-president George Evans said the parting of ways between Whitmore and the team did not come as too big a surprise. "Football is a result-oriented business and they live and die by results, "he noted while describing the move as "the usual knee-jerk reaction when things don't go right".

Evans said the move should not be seen "as being personal against Whitmore. This is not about Theodore Whitmore the person but the buck stops somewhere". Whitmore, he said, was a "scapegoat, just like others before".

Linnell McLean, chairman of the Western Confederation and a former KSAFA boss, said Whitmore "was being judged by the early results" where the Reggae Boyz beat the United States for the first time at the senior level and earned a point at the Azteca in Mexico.

McLean did not mince words when he said: "We are in serious problems with the qualifying and (Tuesday's) loss effectively leaves us chasing the play-off spot as the first second and third places are all out of reach."

The Trelawny FA boss said the team had "not played up to expectations" and wondered if "it was the coach or the players that should go".

Gregory Daley, president of the St James FA, thinks "if Whitmore saw himself as a liability, then it was the right thing to do and step away from the programme".

Everton Tomlinson, president of the Westmoreland FA, said while he had not been fully briefed on the situation, he was sure Whitmore "had the best interest of the nation at heart". "This job is not an easy one and given the public pressure and lack of results, it is not easy," but added "the programme must go on".



Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz2W6oYAi76

[Mosiah]

Whitmore: We didn’t create any clear-cut chances

I bet you shut down some passing lanes though!

Tappa, yuh really expected to create chances when the majority of our players are mindless robots!