JAMAICA VS MEXICO June 4, 2013

I feel uneasy going into this match June 4 against Mexico. The full team has just trained together days before a crucial qualifier like this. I know they are professionals but this is not good for us. Apparently all the clubs are releasing players just in time for their National duties; not just the Jamaican players.

Remember, when the Reggae Boyz play a match JAMAICA plays a match. When we qualify for Rio (not Rio Cobre) what you will see in the headlines are JAMAICA QUALIFIES FOR WOLD CUP IN BRAZIL 2014.

I desperately need to see this headline, so Tappa I guess by now you know what is to be done, or should I be directing this to Montesso now.....I'm confused. It is what it is, whatever it is, I just need whoever is in charge to understand the magnitude of this June 4 game against Mexico and that it is a win that is needed.

What I need to hear after the game is "we looked back at the tapes and studied the Mexican offense and how they transitioned to defense and exploited their weaknesses, that is how we were able to be victorious today". What I don't want to hear is "well the lack of training time and injuries caused us to change how we wanted to approach the game hence the result we had today".

Headlines like this in the Jamaica Observer bother me
LET'S PRAY: Coach bemoans poor preparation, injury epidemic
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/let-s-pray-_14366695

The blog link below is dated February 8, 2013 so I don't want to hear about injuries and who can't play.
http://antoniobell.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-fabulous-four.html

Okay fine players are injured, so I guess that determines our fate before we even go into the match? We have a squad and the coach/technical director must be able to manage this squad to get what he wants on the pitch. All players won't be healthy all the time.....'work wid it'.

PANAMA        - 5 points
COSTA RICA  - 4 points
USA                  - 4 points
HONDURAS    - 4 points
MEXICO          - 3 points
JAMAICA        - 2 points

As can clearly be seen from the points standing we are still very much in contention. However, WE MUST WIN THIS GAME.

Foresight and discipline will be two words that the Reggae Boyz will have to pay attention to in their next 3 World Cup Qualifiers. The teams we are playing bring no mystery to us, we have been playing them for a while now and I don't see how they have changed their style of play significantly over the years. Mexico is a bully that tries to hog the ball, USA is very tactical in their approach and disciplined, Honduras are savvy but can be matched easily, the same for Costa Rica, Panama is THE TEAM now and they have displayed that; that's why they are topping the group. If Panama continues this way they will qualify first from the group for the World Cup next year.

It burns me when you see how these teams can be beaten and we are not doing the necessary things to defeat them. These teams play stronger teams and are shred to bits, so they can be nullified. We just have to employ the necessary strategy and field the players to carry out the strategy. Remember the great big, bad, Panama got 5-1 from Spain in the not too distant past Nov 11, 2012 to be exact.

We need to strategize and do what we have to do the get the results we want; everybody else is trying to do that, what about us?


© 2013 Antonio Bell. All rights reserved

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All the commentary posted in this publication are my personal view(s) and do not reflect the view(s) of any Association, Federation or Governing Body.