FOOTBALL IN JAMAICA

 

                                       Jamaica Football Federation, Founded 1962, Affiliated to FIFA  CONCACAF and CFU.

   20 St. Lucia Crescent, Kingston 5, Jamaica, West Indies

     Telephone:  (876) 929 0484 / (876) 929 8036 /  (876) 926 1182

                                          Fax:  (876) 929 0483 / (876) 960 2421

                                                  Email:  jamff@hotmail.com

 

March 20, 2003

 

Goodison out of Sunday’s game  vs. Barbados

VETERAN central defender, Ian "Pepe" Goodison, has been ruled out of Sunday's friendly international clash against Barbados at the National Stadium here, due to a knee injury.

'Pepe' picked up an injury while training the day before we played our last game against Cuba," technical director, Carl Brown, said yesterday (Wednesday).

 The technical boss further revealed that the top defender, who played a lead role in Jamaica's qualification for the 1998 World Cup Finals in France and led the team to its sole victory -- 2-1 against Japan at the Finals -- is presently showing "swelling" around the knee.

"... but the physio believes that he can play on Sunday, if needs be, but we will bypass this game and save him for the tournament next week," Brown said.

Joining Goodison on the sidelines will be Village United's midfielder, Shane Crawford, who is also out with injury. He's only now just doing light training.

Defender Shavar Thomas, who led the Young Reggae Boyz in the Under-20 World Championships in Argentina in 2001, is due in the island later this week.

Thomas, who was recently drafted by MLS side, Dallas Burns, is said to be on overseas assignment with his club.

Meanwhile the Boyz, without the selectees from Arnett Gardens, who are away in Mexico for their return leg CONCACAF Club Championships, had two training sessions on Wednesday.

An early morning session took the Boyz to the beach at Port Royal, where Brown and his staff concentrated on conditioning. There they spent a few hours.

The evening session was at the Red Stripe Oval, where Brown rested his defenders and devoted the entire session to his attackers with finishing drills.

"We really wanted to do some finishing today (yesterday)," Brown said, adding: "It is something that we will have to continue to work at... if you see how it started, it was ragged, but it improved as they went on.

"This is one of the things that the clubs will have to start doing, they will have to spend some time to get the players doing this sort of work, it shouldn't be that they come here (national programme) and get 10 minutes of this work, they really need a long session and you really have to dedicate one of your evenings to work on this area of finishing.

 "You could see it out there, it was very, very difficult, even without any pressure, even without and defenders, that technically they are just not doing the right things and the only way they are going to improve is to work at it and it is something that we are trying, and if there is a disappointing area in the programme, it is the fact that we are not putting away the chances when we get them," Brown lamented.

Last year the Reggae Boyz went 10 games undefeated on the road, but since Brown was officially appointed technical director this year, he is yet to taste victory.

In their first assignment away to Barbados, the Boyz lost 0-1, then followed up with a 1-2 loss to the USA here, followed by 0-0 and 0-1 results away to Cuba.

During yesterday's finishing drills, Harbour View's Fabian Taylor and Tivoli Gardens' Christopher Nicholas appeared to be the most consistent shooters. Brown was not surprised.

"Not surprising really," was his response to this reporter's identification of Taylor and Nicholas as the two most consistent shooters.

"I have always said if you pull Taylor from the senior programme, then really you are not left with a whole lot, with all due respect to Roen Nelson," Brown said.

 "He (Nelson) works really hard, and this is one of the reasons we have kept him in the programme... his ability to work hard, his willingness to try and I believe that he has recognised that he can improve -- he is not satisfied with the fact that he has scored 20 odd goals in the NPL -- he gets here and he works very hard," explained Brown of the Hazard marksman, who is the leading goal scorer in the domestic league.

"Nicholas has the knack of getting goals but we have to get him in the sort of physical condition to play at the international level, and along with Taylor, they are clearly the two best strikers that we presently have here in Jamaica," Brown, the former national defender, opined.

Another early morning session is slated for the Red Stripe field this morning and an afternoon session, at a venue to be confirmed, at Red Stripe Oval or probably UWI, if permission is granted.

Thereafter, the team will have one session either at Red Stripe or UWI for the remainder of the week.

 

JFF FORM ALLIANCE WITH UDC TO ORGANISE MATCHES

THE Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) have formerly joined hands in an effort to ensure the smooth running of football matches staged at the National Stadium.

The partnership between the two will see the UDC -- through its Independence Park Limited, manager of the stadium complex -- taking over aspects of the JFF operations on match days.

UDC/Independence Park Limited will take over the security arrangement and management inside and outside the stadium, plus seating, ticketing operations and the introduction of ushers to streamline seating.

"The UDC hopes to ensure that the patrons who use the facility are safe and to also ensure that there is consistency in the way the operations are carried out," said UDC general manager, Marjorie Campbell, at a special meeting of the Local Organising Committee at the JFF headquarters yesterday.

"We will have a cadre of ushers who will seat patrons at the grandstand at all times, we will have ticket-takers who we will have at the facility at all times, plus security personnel managing the car parks at all times," Campbell outlined.

This new system, she said, will guarantee "more order" and would see to the upkeep of the newly-renovated multi-sport facility.

And on the matter of seating, all grandstand patrons will be settled only in rows and seat numbers that are reflected on their tickets.

The bleachers section, however, will remain an unreserved section, but will have the benefits of security and upgraded sanitary convenience.

"I would ask all the patrons using the facility to co-operate with us and the new system which would make attending an event at the National Stadium a more pleasant experience,"Campbell added.

With the new plan, the JFF is not expected to fork out any extra bucks except the $750,000 rental fees for the use of stadium for each game. The costs of security and lighting are financial burdens that the cashapped Federation has to undertake.

For the use of training by the senior team at the grounds, the UDC is prepared to let the Reggae Boyz do so for free during the daytime, but "will charge a reasonable fee" for the lights if they practise at night.

The new measures will be implemented this Sunday when the Reggae Boyz face Caribbean neighbours, Barbados, in a friendly at "The Office".

But the true test for the inventive plan towards achieving order will come the following week when Jamaica host Gold Cup qualifiers from March 26-30.

These qualifiers will feature Haiti, St Lucia and Guadeloupe.

The need for improved organisation and efficiency at matches may have been driven by the disarray at the friendly international between Jamaica and the USA last month.

"I support any initiative to improve what's presently in place," said JFF president, Captain Horace Burrell.

"This is mainly to ensure that patrons can enter the stadium without any difficulty ... we are trying to put a system in place that will remain for a long time," he continued.

The agreement between the Federation and the UDC was ironed out at a five-hour meeting at the UDC headquarters in downtown Kingston, with top representatives of both bodies on Wednesday.

Present at yesterday's meeting were representatives from Jamaica Defence Force, Jamaica Constabulary Force, ODPEM, INSPORTS, Jamaica Fire Brigade, Sports Developmet Foundation, a private security company and members of the JFF.

 

 

Arnett Gardens eliminated from

CONCACAF Club champs.

 

19.03.03 - Jamaica's Arnett Gardens put up a fierce defense, but CD Necaxa of Mexico finally got the one goal they needed to advance by the minimum difference to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday night.

The two teams played to a scoreless draw in Kingston two weeks ago, and on Wednesday at Estadio Olimpico in Aguascalientes, it took the home side three-quarters of the match to break

down the Arnett Gardens rearguard.

But Adelino Batista finally found the back of the net for the Mexican club on 67 minutes, in a match that more and more seemed headed for extra time, then possible penalties, in case of another draw.

Necaxa, winner of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1999, will now face the winner of the series between CD Motagua (Honduras) and Los Angeles Galaxy of the USA in the quarterfinal round, with matches set to be played 9 and 16 April.

                 

Hazard United vs. Harbour View in JNBS KO FINAL

NATIONAL Premier League front runners, Hazard United advanced to their fifth JNBS/JFF Federation Cup knockout final yesterday when they edged fellow St Catherine-based team, Rivoli United, 1-0 in the first semifinal match at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex.

Leading goal-scorer, Reon Nelson, provided the Lenworth Hyde-coached team with the opportunity for a second lien on the 12-year-old Cup with a flashing header from a Derrick Smith right side cross in the 72nd minute.

Hazard reached the first final in the competition played in 1991, but were beaten by then Major League team Olympic Gardens. They finally won the competition in 2000 against Wadadah at Jarrett Park on their fourth attempt and will contest this year's final on April 6 against defending champions, Harbour View, who stopped Arnett Gardens 3-1 in the second semifinal.

 

Young Boyz hopeful

JAMAICA'S under-17 footballers' quest for a place in this summer's Youth World Cup in Finland is far from over. However, optimism is soaring as they make a last gasp effort to qualify.

Having failed to earn an outright spot with their second-place finish in the recent Zone B playoffs in Guatemala, they will now have a another shot of going through when they meet the runner-up from Zone A in a home-and-away tie for the third CONCACAF qualifying place.

They are expected to play the first leg of that tie here on April 13 with the return set for either April 26 or 27 abroad.

Their opponents will be either Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba or Canada who kick off Zone A action, beginning in Victoria, Canada, next Wednesday.

In the first round of games, hosts Canada will face Cuba while Mexico confront Costa Rica. "It doesn't matter who we meet, it's going to be tough opposition but we're confident," opined coach, Patrick "Jackie" Walters.

The Young Reggae -- in their zone action earlier this month -- suffered a 3-0 defeat to Noth American kingpins, USA, then a dramatic 3-2 win over hosts, Guatemala, and ended with a come-from-behind 1-1 draw with El Salvador.

Technical director of Jamaica's football, Carl Brown, is of the view that the under-17s performed well but said they could have done better if they had more international exposure.

"I believe that their performance was basically good ... coaches of other teams in the zone said we showed guts and determination," Brown told the Observer.

"...The big difference between our team and the others we played was the exposure," he added.

In their win against Guatemala, the Boyz trailed 0-2 for most of the game, but rallied in the final 19 minutes to score three goals.

This, Brown said, demonstrated depth of character. "The first game we played against the USA we were very tentative and gave up a goal as early as in the fourth minute, but we were better than them towards the end of each game," Brown went on.

Coach Walters added that "they have clearly demonstrated that they are not a team to give up ... they will fight all the way and that's a plus".

With those three games, the coaching staff believes that the group would have gained valuable experience playing at this level.

"I believe these games will do them a world of good ... they would have seen what international football is all about at the highest level at their age group," Brown noted.

"Those games would have left some impression on them ... we left here wanting to qualify right off but we finished as second best which means the programme continues ...," he added.

But what is of great concern to the coaching staff is what happens between now and the dates of the Young Boyz' playoff against the group A runnper-up.

"Let's hope we will get enough games in between that in getting ready for these games ... "I am very optimistic that we will do well but what we do between now and then is going to be absolutely critical," Brown said.

The USA, it is learnt, have invited the Jamaicans for a few friendlies, but "the JFF (Jamaica Football Federation) is presently exploring that possibility ...," Walters said.

The plan was to have the players in camp this week to begin preparation, but the unavailability of the GC Foster College facility has derailed the timetable somewhat.

However, Walters told the Obvserver that the players will be summoned next Monday.

"GC Foster, where we usually train, is not currently available to us until April 1 ... we have to improvise in the meantime," he said.

If the Young Reggae Boyz are to succeed in repeating their qualification for the 1999 Youth World Cup in New Zealand, they will need good performances from goalkeeper, Dwayne Kerr, defender Keniel Moodie, mid-fielder, Kemar Munroe and striker, Steven Morrissey.

"The players are upbeat and hungry to do well," Walters said.

 

Walters leaving for Canada on 'spy' mission

NATIONAL under-17 coach, Patrick "Jackie" Walters, will leave the island next Tuesday for Victoria, Canada, on a "spy" mission.

Walters will be seeking to gather valuable information on the Young Reggae Boyz' likely opponents for their CONCACAF Youth World Cup qualifier against the runners-up from Zone A.

That zone will see hosts Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and Cuba competing against each other and will kick off next Wednesday.

"I'll be leaving next Tuesday to scout the teams in this zone so we'll be better prepared to play them whenever we do," Walters said yesterday.

The Jamaicans, with a 0-3 loss to the USA, a 3-2 win over host Guatemala and 1-1 tie against El Salvador, placed second in their Zone B playoffs and will now have to fight for the third qualifying spot by meeting the second best team from the other zone.

"In talking to teams that would have played Costa Rica and Mexico, it's their view that we could beat them," said Jamaica's technical director, Carl Brown. "I feel pretty confident that if we have the Canadians, we have a very good chance of beating them."

The move to send Walters to scout his likely foe is seen as a step in the right direction, as a lack of this in the under-20 team's World Cup qualifying campaign led to their early elimination at the hands of Haiti.

 

Dates set for qualifying for 2004

Olympic Football Tournaments

19.03.03 - The dates have been set for the first round of CONCACAF qualifying for both the men's and women's Olympic Football Tournaments Athens 2004.

The men's tournament, which is an under-23 competition (for players born on or after 1 January 1981), will be scheduled in coordination with the FIFA International Match Calendar.

The first two rounds of men's qualifying will be played on a home-and-away basis, as a result of the draw held 7 February 2003. The first-round series are to be completed by 12 October 2003, with first-leg matches played on 6, 7 or 10 September and return matches on 10 September (if not used for first leg), or 11 or 12 October.

The men’s second-round ties must played by 20 November, with the home leg scheduled for 15 or 16 and the return matches on 19 November.

FIFA has accepted the late inclusion of Suriname into the tournament, and they will now play Guatemala, which previously had a bye, in the first round. A draw was held to determine the order of those matches, and Suriname will host the first match, Guatemala the return leg.

 FIFA has also accepted the inclusion of Suriname into the women's competition, replacing Dominica, which had previously withdrawn. As a result, women's qualifying will initially be divided into four preliminary round groups of three teams each, to be hosted by Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, as well as a single two-leg series to be played between Haiti and Puerto Rico. All of the matches in the preliminary round must be played between 1 October and 14 December 2003.

The final rounds of both the men’s and women’s competitions will be hosted by Mexico from 2-12 February 2004.

CONCACAF holds men's and women's qualifying draws for 2004 Olympic Games

 

EARL BAILEY

PRESS OFFICER JFF

Mobile:  351 2656

PATRON:     The Governor General

OFFICERS:  Captain Horace G. Burrell, CD, JP, OMFIFA, President; Raymond Anderson, 1st Deputy 

                     President, Lincoln Sutherland, 2nd Deputy President; E. David Watt 3rd Deputy President;

                     Peter Reid, Treasurer;  Linnel McLean, Executive Officer; Horace D. Reid, General Secretary.

  

March 12th, Newsline

January 9th, Newsline

December 13th, Newsline

December 6th, Newsline

November 27th Newsline

 

Jamaica Football Federation

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