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Boyz face Panama
in June 7 friendly at 'The Office'
BY SEAN A WILLIAMS Assistant Sports Editor
Thursday, April 16, 2009
After missing two FIFA-sanctioned dates in March and earlier this month, the action-starved Reggae Boyz will have a game on their plate on June 7.
BURRELL... we want to make up for disappointment of World Cup The Jamaicans, who last played Nigeria in a friendly game on February 11 in London, will match skills with Central American rivals Panama at the National Stadium at 6:00 pm, JFF boss Captain Horace Burrell confirmed yesterday.
"We'll be playing against a tough Panama team that Jamaica have not done well against in recent times. I believe this Panama team with their overseas-based players from Spain, South and Central America will test the character of the Boyz," Burrell said.
In their last meeting in a friendly international at the National Stadium on March 26, 2007, Jamaica with Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic at the helm, drew 1-1 with the Central Americans.
Burrell, the CONCACAF Executive Committee member and senior vice-president of the CFU, said all the top foreign-based Jamaican stars will be available for the showdown at 'The Office'.
Among them are UK-based Ricardo Gardner (captain), Ricardo Fuller, Damion Stewart, Marlon King, Omar Daley, Jermaine Johnson, Ian Goodison, Claude Davis, Jamal Capbell-Ryce; Scandinavia-based Luton Shelton, Demar Phillips; US Major Leaguers Tyrone Marshall, Donovan Ricketts, Dane Richards, Omar Cummings and France pro Tyrone Mears, who debuted against Nigeria.
"We hope to create an atmosphere inside the National Stadium similar to a World Cup qualifying match... we know that the fans have been starved of high quality football... and I believe this match-up will provide fireworks," said Burrell.
Since their creditable 0-0 draw against the Super Eagles, the Boyz were inactive on the FIFA-sanctioned dates of March 28 and April 1.
The JFF was in fact in advanced negotiations for a match against Oman in Muscat on March 28, but the Gulf state opted late to play South Africa.
The JFF has been finding it difficult to woo quality teams as their efforts are being thwarted by their FIFA ranking of 70th and the team's elimination from the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament.
"It's not easy to get worthy opponents now as they are engaged in World Cup qualifiers and... are playing those games on FIFA calendar dates, plus we're not attractive to them because we're not in the World Cup mix," Burrell said from the USA where he is attending CONCACAF meetings.
Burrell, who has spent much of the past three weeks fending of media flurries over the Boyz's failure to capitalise on the aforementioned FIFA dates and the Under-20s' inglorious exit from the World Cup qualifiers, said he and his team are trying to get in at least one more game before the Gold Cup.
"We're aggressively looking to have at least another game overseas before the Gold Cup because we want to give our team the best preparation going into the championship... we want to do well to make up for the disappointment of the World Cup," noted Burrell, who is in his second stint as the island's football boss.
Jamaica and Panama (ranked 60th) were both eliminated from the World Cup qualifying campaign at the semi-final stage and will now look to redeem themselves at the CONCACAF Gold Cup from July 3-26.
Both teams will be using the game to fine-tune for CONCACAF's flagship tournament to be staged in an unprecedented 13 US cities, plus it will be a clash between Digicel regional champions.
Jamaica copped the Digicel Champions Cup, the 'Holy Grail' of Caribbean football, while Panama outclassed all others, including Costa Rica and Honduras, for the Digicel Central American Championship.
Jamaica will compete in Group A of the Gold Cup with Canada, Costa Rica and El Salvador, while Panama contest Group C along with Guadeloupe, Mexico, Nicaragua.
Group B will see USA, Honduras, Haiti and Grenada doing battle
So common sense finally kicked in? There are some games that will bring a profit and some will not, but if you are going to have a successful programme these games are necessary evils.
Yes, you might not be able to fill every seat for every game but the Federation has to find ways to offset the shortfall at the gate.......Local and international broadcast rights for all games at the office, vendor contracts for all games at the office, major game sponsors for the year or sponors for each games at the office, sponsors for each player (sponsor a player programs)......etc
The irony is, the JFF even reports losses when the Office is standing room only.........so what is the big deal? They seem to have mastered the art of operating at a loss anyway.
_________________________ "Victory" in wars are never about who is right or wrong but more about who is left standing.
gentle ppl im a prophet or pretty close to one... i said y not play panama from february 12th 2009 as the date indicates below...but as usual cappo takes a long time to figure out stuff.
people please remember too cappo has somewhat gone back on his words, he said hosting a game at the office makes no sense financially... apparently it makes sense financially now..TSK TSK TSK ahhh bwoy.
hey lincoln ur right common sense finally kicked in
I GONE
>>>gentlemen panama has won the central american cup beating out rivals honduras, costa rica. they r now ranked 50. capt shud arrange a game with them.
they are out of WCQualifying excellent preparation for both teams heading into the gold cup<<<
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Some info about Panama's key players:
Felipe Baloy, DF, Monterrey, Mexico José Luis Garcés, FW, Academica Coimbra, Portugal Blas Perez, FW, Pachuca, Mexico Ricardo Phillips, MF, San Francisco, Panama Luis Tejada, FW, Millinarios, Colombia
looks like someone is going to have to go to soccer.com and start makin some copies haha... ive spent too much time searchin manhattan for these things
_________________________
Vegas will always be Vegas. That won’t change. Las Vegas will be the market of markets for MLS.
They could start will apparel sales......finding a current Jamaica national team Kappa anywhere in the Americas is a serious mission.
I have a friend who is a retired pro-footballer from Uruguay and has been hounding the hell out of me for a Boyz jersey since September.The Reggae Boyz is his next favourite team to Uruguay. He cannot understand why he cannot buy one anywhere.....and I cannot answer his question.
We seem to be stuck in the the "gate receipt only" mode of business...........I guess a "closed door" game to prepare your team would be described as insanity...
Edited by LINCOLN (04/16/0907:23 AM)
_________________________ "Victory" in wars are never about who is right or wrong but more about who is left standing.
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Lincoln,
Ironically, the last time I was able find a Jamaica jersey was when my friend from Uruguay took me to a sports store in Sao Paulo, Brazil. And that was the old Uhlsport jersey.
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It will be interesting to see which players ask for a rest after long season and who is hungry for international duty and fifa ranking work permit duties.
That was only 16 players named. Remeber Burell said players that were available not selected. Barnes and Whitmore are gonna select the side soon. Im sure it would be about 20 players.
Guys Rudolph Austin was not even on the list. ANd barnes admires him so he would be there. Barnes also admires Jason Morrison. And the 2 new defenders may be brought in Danny SImpson and Nyron Nosworthy
Panama outplayed T&T (though T&T won) and absolutely crushed Haiti, both in March friendlies. Add on top of that their victory in the UNCAF tournament and I'd say they are a good level of opposition for Jamaica
