U-17 Boyz head to T&T upbeat despite less than ideal preparation
By Sean A. Williams (Jamaica Observer)
As Jamaica’s Under-17 Reggae Boyz head off to Trinidad and Tobago today for the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) finals, their coach Andrew Edwards has expressed mixed feelings on the preparation going into tournament.
“I don’t think that our preparation was as good as we would have liked for the simple reason that we didn’t have all the players travelling with the team with us throughout the preparation phase, especially those based overseas… that kind of mitigated the type of work we wanted to do,” he told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
Conversely, Edwards was pleased with some other key aspects of the pre-tournament preparation.
“I thought that we have had a good preparation physically, and in that regard the team is in a good place. Tactically, we have been able to improve our pressing game and our end game, which is play in the final third.
“I think in that area (attacking third) our organisation and communication have got better, which is where we really wanted to go, so we are excited and upbeat despite the challenges and we are now looking forward to an excellent tournament,” he noted.
Edwards expressed that whenever the overseas-based players are able to join the camp, their attitude and conditioning have been first-rate.
“For those overseas, they have come into the camp in good physical conditioning, and tactically it is also obvious that they have grown up, and we are happy with that,” he noted.
Edwards, who coaches Manchester High School in the rural area daCosta Cup competition, said he has been inspired by a growing sense of commitment by the players, some of whom had earlier not shown “100 per cent focus” to the mission.
“Generally we have to credit these boys for the attitude they have as they have proven to be very committed youngsters… they seem to be very close-knit and their response to training and instruction has been good for the majority of times,” said Edwards.
“Kendall Edwards has to come in for special mention as he landed Friday afternoon and came straight from the airport to the game at GC Foster College and played the entire second half without any hiccups, and that is the kind of commitment that excites,” the coach beamed.
Earlier in the recent camp, Edwards had told the Observer that he had picked up on a sense of distraction of the local-based players, some of whom appeared absorbed by their passion for school on the eve of kick-off to the schoolboy football season.
Edwards said he has found that the affected players’ appeared split in commitment and loyalty which was not all their fault.
“A big part of it is not the youngsters themselves, but moreso the coaches and managers in the respective schools who seem to have little regard for the national programme, and as a consequence they bring extreme pressure on the youngsters.
“And, of course, a lot of these schools, especially those vying for championships, tend to bear a lot of gifts for the youngsters in one manner or another, and as a consequence, the youngsters feel a sense of loyalty to them,” said the schoolteacher.
In two games leading up to today’s departure, the team’s head coach stated that his charges have demonstrated an aptitude to interpret tactics and general instructions, which for him is a good sign going forward.
In the first practice match, the Young Boyz lost against Harbour View’s Premier League team 2-0, and recovered to defeat GC Foster College team 2-0.
“The game against Harbour View, I thought, we gave up two crazy goals in the first half. At half-time we sat and spoke about it and we gave them some instructions, and we decided we were not going to concede another goal and I thought they responded very well to that.
“The game against GC Foster College, I thought, we worked out a very good tactical plan and I thought they worked the plan quite well, as we were able to dominate that game from start to finish and we won comfortably in the end,” Edwards explained.
Another warm-up game scheduled for the Mona Bowl against Premier League outfit UWI FC on Monday evening had to be abandoned due to poor lighting.
In Group A of the eight-team play-offs, Jamaica will open their account on Friday against Bermuda, then take on neighbours Haiti on Sunday and the hosts Trinidad next Tuesday in the September 16-25 tournament.
In Group B, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Curacao and Suriname will fight for their right for a place in the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship to be held April 21-May 7 in Panama City.
The four semi-finalists and the best fifth-placed finisher will advance to the Panama play-offs from the CFU decider.
Meanwhile, the Jamaicans have made three changes from the squad that topped Group Four of the CFU first-round in the US Virgin Islands in July.
Out are Romario McPherson, Casseam Priestley and Thriston Briscoe, while Horace Ramsay, Jamari Morrison and Nickque Daley come in.
Squad
— Daniel Russell, Kendal Edwards, Jamoi Topey, Damani Osei, Kaheem Parris, Jordan Petrekin, Renato Campbell, Blake White, Cobi Atkinson, Jeremy Verley, Chad Letts, Omar Thompson, Nickache Murray, Kimani Gibbons, Tajay Griffiths, Cal-Wayne Allen, Raewin Senior, Horace Ramsay, Jamari Morrison and Nickque Daley.
