The Jamaican Football Thread

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That was the most pathetic performance i've ever whitnessed at the national stadium. You guys scored 1 goal, sat back and threatened constantly on the counterattack while we couldn't figure out how to play the ball wide. It was dismal and based on that match, you fully deserve to progress. However, you'll get mauled in the cup itself as Trinidad and Jamaica were far and away the worst teams in the qualifying group. Costa Rica absolutely ran circles around both of us. Watch out for their #10 (striker), i don't know his name but he wears 10 and neon yellow boots!

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Double Postage but it's worth it:

Reggae Boyz face Chile test at 'The Office'


Luke warm in their last couple of friendlies, Jamaica's Reggae Boyz will be looking to pick up the pace when they are tested by South American giants Chile in a 7:00 p.m. encounter tonight at 'The Office', the National Stadium.

"Things have been going really well with our preparation for this fixture, both from a tactical and physical standpoint," the team's assistant coach, Wendell Downswell, told The Gleaner yesterday.

"This could be our sternest test so far, but the team is upbeat and we are looking for a quality performance come tomorrow," he added.

Well anything short of that and the Jamaicans will certainly find themselves in trouble against seven-time World Cup qualifiers Chile, who are currently ranked 43rd in the world, 27 places above the Jamaicans.

The Chileans are also expected to field a fairly strong team, which should include the dangerous Matias Fernandez of Spain's La Liga side Villareal and Real Sociedad's Claudio Mu-oz.

The Chileans have been inconsistent in their last couple of interntional games after securing a 0-0 draw with Argentina back in April, but went down 4-0 to Brazil the previous month and more recently 2-0 to Costa Rica earlier this month. They are currently coached by formerUrguyan player, Nelson Acosta.

The good news for the Reggae Boyz, however, is that they will be fielding their strongest team in recent times.

In contrast to the last two friendlies - a 2-0 loss to Sweden back in March, which featured a squad with no foreign-based players and a tame 1-1 draw in what was supposed to be a grudge macth with Panama at the National Stadium later that month which saw just two overseas players suit up - five are included in the squad for tonight's encounter.

Spearheaded by captain Ricardo Gardner of Bolton Wanderers, ace striker Luton Shelton of Sheffield United, Stoke City's Ricardo Fuller and Damion Stewart of the Queens Park Rangers, the overseas contingent was also boosted by Sean Fraser who joined the team yesterday.

Nice mix

Downswell explained that the team has a nice mix of experience and one that gives the local players an oppourtunity to showcase their talent.

"We know they are a strong team but I think we have enough experience to give a good account of ourselves and this is also a good chance for the local players to contninue cementing their spots for the World Cup qualification campaign.

"So far the players have been fitting together well and I am inviting the public to come out and give their support," he added.

However, if one eye is on the Boyz, many members of a result-driven public will certainly have the other on still fairly new technical director Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic, as they expect good results sooner than later.

Milutinovic has been criticised in recent times for not only tame results, but mainly his selections for the senior squad and also what was perceived to be a lack of involvement in the youth World Cup qualifiers.

SQUADS: Jamaica - Andre Redwood, Mario Harrison, Allien Whittaker, Nicholy Finlayson, Jermaine Taylor, Demar Phillips, Donald Stewart, Richard McCallum, Fabian Taylor, Lovel Palmer, Wolry Wolfe, Christopher Harvey, Mario Swaby, Richard Edwards, Adrian Reid, Ricardo Gardner, Keneil Moodie, Luton Shelton, Donovan Davis, Sean Fraser, Fabian Davis, Ricardo Fuller, Xavian Virgo and Khari Stephenson.

Chile - Claudio Bravo Mu-oz, Hector Sanhuez Medel, Nicol‡s Peric, Jode Cabion Dianta, Rodrigo Melndez Araya, Alvaro Ormneno Salazar, Manuel Iturra Urrutia, Gonzalo Fierro Caniullan, Carlos Villanueva Rolland, Sebastian Roco Melgarejo, Mat'as Fern‡ndez, Ismael Fuentes Castro, Jorge Valdivia Toro, Pablo Contreras Fica, Luis Jimnez Garcs, Jorge Vargas Palacios, Arturo Vidal Pardo, Reinaldo Navia Amador, Rodrigo Tello Valenzuela, Humberto Suazo Pontivo and Roberto Gutirrez Gamboa.

CURTAIN RAISER (hehe, i'll try to leave work early to catch some of this, should be funny to watch!)

Meanwhile, the friendly international feature will be preceded at 5:00 p.m. by a curtain raiser between a Masters and Celebrities team and an Entertainers group comprising mainly DJs and singers.

Some members of the Masters and Celebrities squad are: Clive 'Busy' Campbell, Richie Murray, Ian Wilkinson, Trevor 'TC' Campbell, Michael 'Jah Mikes' Williams, Hugh 'Bingy' Blair, Allan 'Skill' Cole, Peter Moses, Andrew Price, Lincoln Taffe, Zachary Harding, Rudolph Speid and Lenworth 'Teacher' Hyde.

Some players in the Entertainers squad are: Spragga Benz, Lexxus, John Hype, Assassin, Kiprich, Captain Barkey and Wicker Man, Ding Dong, Mr. Balance (Snagga Puss), Nesbeth, Aidonia, Luciano, Wayne Marshall, Marvin Chin, Peter Prendergast, Capleton and Vybz Kartel.

Link

Tv info:

Tue Jun 05 05:00PM Pacific
Tue Jun 05 06:00PM Mountain
Tue Jun 05 07:00PM Central
Tue Jun 05 08:00PM Eastern
Length: 2 hr LIVE
FOX Soccer Channel (FSC) - US
International Friendly - CONCACAF/CONMEBOL
Jamaica vs Chile

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My new favourite players are: Rudolph Austin and Demar Phillips.

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It's a freaking travesty that i have to pay JA$1000 (US$14) for a FRIENDLY match tomorrow between Jamaica and Costa Rica!!!

That may not seem like much but those are the cheapest tickets and we normally have to pay half that for friendlies!

The things we do for our teams...

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THE BIG ONE!!!!

Jamaica, T&T to add another chapter to age-old battle


JAMAICA'S REGGAE Boyz and Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors will add another chapter to their age-old battle in a friendly international encounter at the National Stadium tonight at 7:00.

In somewhat ironic circumstances, Jamaica's football technical director, René Simoes, has recalled a popular striker to the squad, this time English Championship Division team Sheffield Wednesday's forward Deon Burton.

The Brazilian, who returned for his second tour of duty on January 5, had given Burton his debut while coaching Jamaica to their historic World Cup qualification at France '98. Burton scored four crucial goals in the elimination series that proved decisive in Jamaica's successful advance. Burton last donned the green, gold and black in an unforgettable June 2006 6-0 battering by England.

"It has been a long time since I have been called into the Jamaican squad but I always saw myself playing for Jamaica again," Burton, who scored in back-to-back matches recently, said in a Sunday Gleaner interview.

Long exile

For the last game against Costa Rica on February 6, which ended 0-0, Marlon King, who scored six goals in the '06 campaign, was selected after a long exile - given a reprieve by the new administration which cut a two-year ban.

While Burton is happy now, others are grieving and both teams will be missing influential players, with injury ruling out Jamaica captain Ricardo 'Bibi' Gardner and what appears to be another of those commonplace club vs country rows denying Trinidad and Tobago the Sunderland duo of Kenwyne Jones and Carlos Edwards. The latter had been sidelined for some time because of a broken foot.

The match among the Caribbean archrivals is the first of a two-way tie (June 6 return-leg in Trinidad) and serves to enhance their build-ups for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, which they will kick off in mid-June. It also gives the fairly new top brass of the coaching staff another chance to assess talent.

Home-based players

Inherently, that provides another opportunity for such talents to press claims for the real thing at mid-year and Trinidad and Tobago, whose new Colombian coach, Francisco Maturana, will be in charge for his second international game, has included a number of home-based players for this trial.

Their task will be made more difficult by the intensity that is associated with matches - or any form of confrontation whatsoever - in this long-standing rivalry. There is a tremendous amount of pride at stake and, intrinsically, bragging rights.

"The game is very important because it is against Trinidad," noted Simoes, who also coached the Trinidadians, in reference to the fact that the teams are always highly motivated to play each other.

"We have to play very serious and we know from my experience here they are looking very serious for this game," the Brazilian added.

Of the previous 30 meetings between the two, the Jamaicans hold a 13-11 winning advantage and, even more distinctly, have either won or drawn all the matches they have played in this country.

Jamaica, too, won their last meeting, 2-1 in the Digicel Caribbean Cup tournament in February, 2005.

Simoes says either Toronto F.C.'s defensive player, Tyrone Marshall, or King of English Premiership club Wigan Athletic, will wear the armband in Gardner's absence.

King scored Saturday, a penalty in a 3-1 loss at Blackburn Rovers.

Jamaica's other overseas-based players are Donovan Ricketts (Bradford City), Demar Phillips (Stoke City), Luton Shelton (Sheffield United), Omar Daley (Bradford City), Ian Goodison (Tranmere Rovers), Demar Stewart (Royal White Star, Belgium), Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Barnsley), Oneil Thompson (Nottoden, Norway) and Khari Stephenson (AIK Stockholm, Sweden).

The Soca Warriors' overseas cast is represented by forward Darryl Roberts (Sparta Rotterdam), Collin Samuel (Toronto FC) and United States-based defender Osei Telesford.

Maturana's first win

They are coming off a win, having beaten El Salvador 1-0 in their game last Wednesday, through a free kick 12 minutes into the second half by midfielder Keon Daniel.

The victory represented the first for Maturana, who first handled the team in an international in a goalless draw at Guadeloupe.

"The team is a mixture of what we had in the last game and then we have the overseas players coming in," Maturana was quoted as saying after last week's victory. "It's a good chance to see how well they can play together against a team like Jamaica who are very good at home."

He added: "I was pleased with the effort against El Salvador and I hope that we can do even better against the Jamaican team. It's an important game for our preparations and we will try to prepare well and take everything with us into the game."

Yes i'm going.