Burrell: Jamaica's Reggae Boyz to give football lesson on Sunday.
By: Burrell Robert Bailey (Gleaner Writer).
Captain Horace Burrell, president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), has issued a strong warning to Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago, that the Reggae Boyz will crush them in their return friendly international match on Sunday at the National Stadium, starting at 6 p.m.
"Already, we have heard pronouncements by Anil Roberts, minister of sports in Trinidad and Tobago, that if his boys fail to perform creditably against Jamaica heads will roll," said Burrell, during a press conference at Cuddy'z Sports Bar in New Kingston yesterday.
"But that is their business, because I have already told Roberts that he should start rolling heads from today because come Sunday it is a done deal," said Burrell.
"I say to you, Minister, you don't have to wait until Sunday to take the appropriate action, you can take the action today because the Soca Warriors will be given a football lesson come Sunday, when they tackle the Reggae Boyz at the 'Office'," Burrell said.
The Reggae Boyz, who are ranked 76th in the world, defeated the Trinidadians 3-1 in their previous match, which was held in Port-of-Spain in August. However, despite this, the JFF boss added that he is expecting a much tougher match from the Soca Warriors this time.
Extremely important
"This game is extremely important for both countries, and whenever both teams meet for a football match there is always so much at stake for these two Caribbean nations," Burrell said. The Trinidadians are ranked 97th in the world.
"We take these games against a team like Trinidad very serious and the Trinidadians do the same," he said.
Burrell also urged the public to come and support the Reggae Boyz because they are going to make the country very proud on Sunday.
"Of course, Jamaica is at the forefront of the Caribbean, but we must show that not only on the field of play, but in the attendance," said the Captain. "I am challenging our supporters to turn out in their numbers and to wear yellow or gold come Sunday," Burrell noted.
Overseas-based players Ricardo Fuller, Dane Richards, Ryan Johnson and Shavar Thomas have joined the Theodore Whitmore-coached squad now preparing for Sunday's game.
Coach, Boyz pumped for derby clash.
By: Sean A Williams (Assistant Sport Editor).
For the unaware, Sunday's match-up between the Reggae Boyz and the Soca Warriors will be nothing more than another football match.
But don't tell that to the rival coaches and players.
For them, it's serious business. At stake: bragging rights and the distinction to be dubbed the "Caribbean's number one".
In arguably the Caribbean's most intense football rivalry, one thing is certain: The National Stadium will be the scene for exciting football action, and hopefully the fans will throng to Independence Park for the 6:00 pm kick-off.
"The Trinidad and Jamaica rivalry is no different from a local league derby; it's not all about football, there is bragging rights at stake and as you know that our president (Captain Burrell) and the CONCACAF president (Trinidadian Jack Warner) they have their rivalry at that level too," said Boyz head coach, Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore, who spoke at a press conference at Cuddy'z Sports Bar in New Kingston yesterday.
While the players will be engaged in what is expected to be an interesting clash of styles on the pitch, the touchline combat between coaches Whitmore and Trinidad's Russell Latapy should be equally interesting. Their rivalry began back in the day as opposing players.
Unlike Whitmore, Latapy is fighting for his job after a series of poor results in the recent past, among them a 1-3 spanking by Jamaica in August in Port of Spain. Their poor form has seen T&T slip to 97th in the FIFA ranking, while Jamaica have soared to the region's number one spot with 76th.
"Pride of two Caribbean countries are at stake here and we take these games very seriously. Already the minister of sports of Trinidad Mr Anil Roberts have made pronouncements that if team does not perform well against the Boyz, heads are going to roll. Then heads are going to roll because we are going to whip those Trinidadians," said JFF Captain Horace Burrell in reference to the embattled Latapy.
Burrell's tone on the surface would appear to be innocent bantering as he addressed yesterday's function, but it's no joke when Jamaica and Trinidad meet on the field.
Whitmore, Jamaica's two-goal hero in a 2-1 win over Japan at the World Cup Finals in France in 1998, says the younger players need to understand the ramification of the contest.
"For those (players) who don't understand the rivalry, we have to get them to start thinking about the game because it's going to be a ding-dong battle come Sunday," he said.
In the meantime, two of the players called for the second of the two-way friendly series — San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Khari Stephenson and Toronto forward O'brian White — could not take up the offer.
"White is on the verge of signing a new contract with his club, and had he come to Jamaica for the match, could have affected his chances of getting a new contract, so we excused him," Burrell explained.
"Stephenson... had an issue with his work permit, so he too we excused...," the JFF boss added.
Though he would have loved to have the pair in the team, Whitmore does not believe his plans have been seriously derailed.
"I'm always satisfied with the players I've been able to get... two of the players we called... are unavailable, but we have to just concentrate on the players who are here and move forward... we always call a squad where we have adequate replacements, so that shouldn't be a problem," he said.
Six foreign-based players have joined camp for Sunday's game. They are Stoke City's Ricardo Fuller, Kansas City Wizards' Shavar Thomas, San Jose Earthquakes Ryan Johnson, New York Red Bull's Dane Richards Shaun Francis of the Columbus Crew and SK Brann's Rodolph Austin.
Whitmore is, however, gravely concerned with a flaw in the Boyz's game.
"One of the areas that we will be concentrating on in the next couple of days is ball possession. I think at the international level we tend to give away the ball a lot and that's something we want to improve on," he noted.
Meanwhile, captain Shavar Thomas promised fans "a spirited performance from the team and Ricardo (Fuller) has promised that he will put some balls into the net".
Norway-based Austin, who got a red card in the first game of the tie, said he's raring to go and is determined to put his indifferent first-leg performance behind him.
"I always go out there and fight for my country no matter what. Sunday I will go out and do the same and try to help the team to win," he said.
In a practice game against Digicel Premier League outfit Portmore United yesterday, the Boyz were comfortable 3-0 winners.
