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Offline Trini _2026

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Hunt cautious ahead of U-17 qualifiers
« on: March 15, 2007, 11:20:07 AM »
Hunt cautious ahead of U-17 qualifiers
 
SEAN A WILLIAMS, Observer staff reporter
Thursday, March 15, 2007
 

 
HUNT... all games will be tough
There is a feeling that Jamaica could see yet another of its football teams in a world tournament.

This flame of optimism is being fanned by an auspicious Under-17 squad that has been impressive in their Youth World Cup preparation - in the process shocking champions Mexico in a two-match friendly series at the Harbour View Mini-stadium last month.

In the first match, both teams scratched out a 1-1 tie, and if there was a whiff of doubt after that as to their true potential, the Young Boyz made sure to convince by blanking the champions 2-0 in the second for a 3-1 aggregate.

That result has sparked a wave of hope and the junior Boyz now carry a burden of high expectation to repeat the success of the 1999 team that qualified for the New Zealand tournament.

They will get their chance from April 28 to May 6 when they tackle the USA, Canada, Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago in CONCACAF Group B qualifiers here for one of three places at this summer's World Youth Championships to be held in South Korea from Aug 18 to Sept 9.

Jamaica's Under-20 team was eliminated in the final phase of CONCACAF qualifying last month in Mexico.

While qualifying the Under-17s seems an achievable goal, team coach David Hunt prefers to tread carefully.

"All games are going to be extremely tough, all the teams are looking to qualify for South Korea," he said yesterday.

And although to a large measure most of the opponents are no strangers to Hunt's youthful bunch, he knows that on game day any card could play and every advantage will count.

"... We have played the US, Trinidad and Canada twice, but we have not played Costa Rica, but I expect very tough opposition from them," he noted.

"Hopefully the home advantage and the crowd support will help the players to rise to the occasion," added Hunt, a successful youth coach at Calabar High School and Meadhaven Football Club.

Since returning to camp on February 17, Hunt's emphasis has been on getting his players to achieve the highest possible mental preparedness.

"We are looking at getting the players to understand the defensive and offensive responsibilities, getting them in a sharper mode and keeping them motivated to work as a unit, (and) they have been responding excellently," he said.
Though the team may not get another international warm-up game ahead of next month's qualifying series, Hunt said that match practice and general preparation have gone to suit.

"The team is getting very good support from the JFF (Jamaica Football Federation) and we are basically satisfied with what is taking place. Preparation has been going very good," he noted.

"This team has played a number of internationals, most recently, we played Mexico and we have been able to play high-quality opposition before that from the CONCACAF region. Over the period we have played the USA, Canada and Panama," Hunt explained.

The Under-17s will have six warm-up matches against local opponents before the CONCACAF finals - starting today with a 7:00 pm encounter against KSAFA's Syd Bartlett League leaders Liguanea United at the National Stadium.

These assignments, said Hunt, will have to do the trick "in case we don't get any international games prior to the start of the tournament".

Even before the Mexico series, the Under-17s have received valuable match practice from Harbour View's and Tivoli Gardens' Under-21 teams.

As Hunt readies his troops for battle, he has implemented a regime that has brought all 30 players under one roof at the Players' Residence in Shortwood, from where they depart on a daily basis to schools in the Corporate Area to keep up with their education.

Players from rural Jamaica attend Calabar High, hitting the books between the daily (except Sunday) training sessions.
Meanwhile, Group A of the CONCACAF elimination will see El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras and Mexico battle for two places in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, from April 4-8.



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Offline elan

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Re: Hunt cautious ahead of U-17 qualifiers
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2007, 12:16:33 PM »
Quote
As Hunt readies his troops for battle, he has implemented a regime that has brought all 30 players under one roof at the Players' Residence in Shortwood, from where they depart on a daily basis to schools in the Corporate Area to keep up with their education.

Players from rural Jamaica attend Calabar High, hitting the books between the daily (except Sunday) training sessions.
Meanwhile, Group A of the CONCACAF elimination will see El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras and Mexico battle for two places in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, from April 4-8.


Jamaica seems very focused, and the organization of the team and their preparation is very admirable.
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Offline Big Magician

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Re: Hunt cautious ahead of U-17 qualifiers
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2007, 02:42:09 PM »
pull allyuh ass nah
Little Magician is King.......ask Jorge Campos


Offline najee

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Re: Hunt cautious ahead of U-17 qualifiers
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2007, 12:54:32 PM »
Anton better get his shit together and the T&T U17 players really focused...because if Jamaica U17 tie with that same Mexican U17 team in Jamaica...show that Trini U17 have alot of worked to do..in gettin perpared and the kids hittin on all cylinder

 

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