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Boyz leave for El Salvador friendly
Barnes wants better passing from team
Sean Williams
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Jamaica's head coach John Barnes appears determined to get his team to play a better passing game when the Reggae Boyz face El Salvador in a friendly international match at the RFK Stadium in Washington DC on Saturday at 7:00 pm.
BARNES... I'm looking for quality in possessional play Barnes, in his sixth month in charge of the team, rued the Boyz's atrocious possessional play in their friendly fixture against Haiti in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday night and spent all of last evening's one-hour training session guiding the players through passing routines which involved a scrimmage.
In Saturday's 2-2 draw, Barnes lauded the team for its guts in coming from 1-2 down to draw level in the dying moments, but lashed the team's suspect passing game. For the El Salvador contest, Barnes is looking for an improved showing in that department.
"They showed commitment, spirit and heart, now I am looking for quality (in the possessional play)," said the former England and Liverpool standout.
At Tuesday's session, the emphasis was on goalscoring as the strikers were taken through an extended shooting drill.
And at yesterday's training session at Winchester Park, 19 players were taken through their paces, but veteran defender Ian 'Pepe' Goodison was noticeably absent.
Queens Park Rangers' Damion Stewart, who missed Tuesday's training, took part in yesterday's workout. Meanwhile, Claude Davis - who was shown the red card in Saturday's match-up - was not considered for the El Salvador game.
Up to press time last night, the 18-man squad was not named and was expected to be decided on at a light training session at UWI Bowl in Mona at 7:00 am today, just seven hours before the team is due to depart the island.
Nicholas Addlery, who scored on his senior debut against Haiti on Saturday, will join the group in Washington as he returned to his club Puerto Rico Islanders on Sunday.
The quartet of Desmond Breakenridge (Arnett Gardens), Dicoy Williams (Harbour View), Jermaine Johnson (Sheffeild Wednesday), and Devon Hodges (Rivoli United) were recalled and will be vying for places in the final 18.
Johnson was not considered for the May 23 friendly against Haiti because of a one-match suspension for the red card he received in the February friendly against Nigeria in London.
Breakenridge and Williams, both central defenders, did not make the final 18 and could now be in with a chance that Davis is out. Hodges, the Digicel Premier League's top scorer with 25 goals, will now be eligible for selection as he was successful with his non-immigrant US visa application.
Training squad: Goalkeepers Shawn Sawyers (Portmore United), Dwayne Miller (Harbour View), defenders Claude Davis (Derby County, UK), Damion Stewart (Queens Park Rangers, UK), Dicoy Williams (Harbour View), Ian Goodison (Tranmere Rovers, UK), Desmond Breakenridge (Arnett Gardens), Adrian Reid (Portmore United), Andre Campbell (Portmore United), Rafe Wolfe (Ferencvaros, Hungary); midfielders Eric Vernon (Portmore United), Oraine Simpson (Tivoli Gardens), Richard Edwards (Harbour View), Michael Campbell (Boys' Town), Jason Morrison (Ferencvaros, Hungary), Wolry Wolfe (Ferencvaros, Hungary), Jermaine Johnson (Sheffield Wednesday); forwards Keammar Daley (Meadhaven United), Navion Boyd (Tivoli Gardens), Roland Dean (Tivoli Gardens) and Devon Hodges (Rivoli United).
this match is going to be the worst in years, just looking on some dumb players names that shouldnt even smell the black,greeen and gold. Breakenrige???? what have Jamaican football come 2!
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WHAT HAPPEN TO THE REAL REGGAEBOYZ......
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This is going to be the toughest match in Barnes six month tenure. It is an away match, in front of a strong Salvadorian crowd against a team that is still in WCQ. While it is a full domestically based squad, they have only lost to Honduras, USA and Costa Rica this year. They have wins over Peru, Ecuador and Belize and draws against the top squad from USA and Trinidad.
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Originally Posted By: jamatl
I know John Barnes may be a bit frustrated that two key players are not in training this week. Ian Goodison and Nicholas Addlery.
Also, while I respect Goodison status, the man has only played one match for club or country since April 18 and did not train with the squad last week or this week.
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Eighteen members of Jamaica’s National Men’s Senior Football Team left the island today for Washington where they will continue their preparation for the 2009 Gold Cup with a friendly international against El Salvador on Saturday, May 30th at the RFK Stadium. The departing squad is comprised of the following:
Defenders- Damion Stewart(Queens Park Rangers,UK), Dicoy Williams (Harbour View) , Adrian Reid(Portmore United), Andre Campbell(Portmore United), Rafe Wolfe(Ferencvaros, HUNGARY)
Defenders/Midfielders – Eric Vernon(Portmore United), Oraine Simpson(Tivoli Gardens); Midfielders- Richard Edwards(Harbour View), Michael Campbell(Boys’ Town), Jason Morrison(Ferencvaros,HUNGARY), Wolry Wolfe(Ferencvaros, HUNGARY), Jermaine Johnson (Sheffield Wednesday)
Forwards- Keammar Daley(Meadhaven United), Navion Boyd(Tivoli Gardens), Roland Dean(Tivoli Gardens) and Devon Hodges (Rivoli United)
A nineteenth member, Nicholas Addlery (Puerto Rico Islanders), forward, will join the squad on arrival.
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SQUAD TO WASHINGTON
May 28th, 2009 Eighteen members of Jamaica’s National Men’s Senior Football Team left the island today for Washington where they will continue their preparation for the 2009 Gold Cup with a friendly international against El Salvador on Saturday, May 30th. The departing squad is comprised of the following:
Goalkeepers- Shawn Sawyers (Portmore United), Dwayne Miller (Harbour View);
Defenders- Damion Stewart (Queens Park Rangers,UK), Dicoy Williams (Harbour View) , Adrian Reid (Portmore United), Andre Campbell (Portmore United), Rafe Wolfe (Ferencvaros, HUNGARY);
Defenders/Midfielders – Eric Vernon (Portmore United), Oraine Simpson (Tivoli Gardens);
Midfielders- Richard Edwards (Harbour View), Michael Campbell (Boys’ Town), Jason Morrison (Ferencvaros,HUNGARY), Wolry Wolfe (Ferencvaros, HUNGARY), Jermaine Johnson (Sheffield Wednesday);
Forwards- Keammar Daley (Meadhaven United), Navion Boyd (Tivoli Gardens), Roland Dean (Tivoli Gardens) and Devon Hodges (Rivoli United)
A nineteenth member, Nicholas Addlery (Puerto Rico Islanders), forward, will join the squad on arrival.
the EPL and the MLS player and europe and england players well be avaulibale for the GOLD CUP jhon barnes is just giveing the DPL players them the chance and the oppertunity to see how well they perform and to see if any of them deserve to be in the senior team for the GOLD CUP
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Barnes' Boyz brace to tough Salvadorans
SEAN Williams, With the Reggae Boyz in Washington
Saturday, May 30, 2009
FALLS CHURCH, Virginia - Reggae Boyz head coach John Barnes says he is expecting a tough response from El Salvador when the CONCACAF Gold Cup group mates meet in a friendly international at the RFK Stadium in Washington today at 7:00 pm (6:00 pm local time).
SEAN Williams Barnes, a former England international and Liverpool star, noted that El Salvador (ranked 102 by FIFA) will especially be a tricky opponent as they are using the match for warm-up purposes for their CONCACAF World Cup qualifier against the USA next Saturday.
"I expect it to be a difficult match... this is our warm-up for the Gold Cup, and this is their warm-up for a World Cup qualifier which is more important and I am sure they will be taking it seriously," said Barnes from the team's hotel in Falls Church, Virginia.
Barnes conceded that he does not know much about the Central Americans, but expects his Boyz to match their opponents, even with scarcity of knowledge.
"I don't know much about them, but they are in the World Cup qualifiers, and we are not, therefore they have to be a decent side... they have a World Cup qualifying game coming up, so I would imagine that they would have the strongest team out...," he noted.
Jamaica's Ambassador to Washington Anthony Johnson (centre) in discussion with (from left) Reggae Boyz head coach John Barnes and team manager Howard Bell shortly after the Jamaican senior football team arrived at the Baltimore/Washington International Airport late Thursday night for today's friendly international against El Salvador at the RFK Stadium. (Photo: Sean Williams)
"I expect them (Boyz) to perform regardless of who we play against because when we have the ball, they can't stop us from playing and we have to make sure that when they have the ball we have to stop them...," Barnes added.
In the first of three Gold Cup warm-up matches for the Boyz against Haiti last Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Barnes rued the team's possessional play, but lauded the "spirit" and "desire" displayed in coming from 1-2 down with 10 players to end 2-2.
And in today's second match-up against a more unpredictable opponent, the coach is insisting that the team shows an improvement in their passing game.
"We are doing what we have always done, we are training the same we have trained, that is with a lot of possession, it's only that we have to emphasise it more... for one reason or another it didn't happen (in Fort Lauderdale)," he said.
Searching to pinpoint the reason the Boyz played so atrociously in the possessional department, Barnes could only put it down to a bankruptcy in confidence. "Lack of confidence for whatever reason, and as I have said, that's what we do in training, but sometimes performance like that happens, you really can't put your fingers on it because they have not shown me it before...," he explained.
Barnes, a Jamaican-born English citizen, said the focus is to put that performance behind and as the team look to today's game at the 45,600 capacity RFK Stadium, home of MLS team DC United, and the final one on June 7 against Central American champions Panama at the National Stadium.
"I am not even focusing why that happened, only that to see that it doesn't happen again," he said. The 18-man squad - with rookies Dicoy Williams of Harbour View, filling the gap left by defenders Claude Davis and Ian 'Pepe' Goodison, and Rivoli United striker Devon Hodges - arrived here late Thursday night and had only one training session at the match venue yesterday.
The last time 70th-ranked Jamaica - the Caribbean champions - played El Salvador was in Dallas, Texas, last July in a friendly which drew 0-0.
Meanwhile, the overall preparation for the upcoming Gold Cup, the only meaningful tournament for the Boyz at the moment after barely missing out on booking a place in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying competition, is said to have gone well, but will take better shape after the Panama game.
"Overall it has gone well, but we still have 10 or 12 players to come, we will have more players for the Panama game, so the team will change... the Fort Lauderdale game and this game will give local players and other players a chance to show me what they can do to see who will be in contention for selection," Barnes concluded.
Group A of the Gold Cup to be staged in 13 cities across the USA from July 3-26 will be contested by both Jamaica and El Salvador, Costa Rica and Canada. Group B will see Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, USA, while Mexico, Guadeloupe, Nicaragua and Panama will do battle in Group C.
Shawn Sawyers will start in goal with Damion Stewart, Adrian Reid, Rafe Wolfe and Eric Vernon forming a four-prong defence. The four-man midfield is made up of Jason Morrison, Richard Edwards, Jermaine Johnson and Navion Boyd. Again Nicholas Addlery and Roland Dean team-up for the attacking fucntion.
The remainder of the 19-man squad is Dwayne Miller, Wolry Wolfe, Dicoy Williams, Oraine Simpson, Andre Campbell, Keammar Daley, Michael Campbell, Devon Hodges.
I must commend the JFF on how they are going about preparing the team for the Gold Cup. I think the team has the right amount of practice matches, spaced out perfectly for rest, recuperation and fine tuning. The team should be peaking as they enter the tournament.
Luckily the 2nd place team in the first round also moves on. Since we already know who is taking 1st place in JA's group it would've been sad to see all this hard work and effort go for naught.
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Boyz look to cool El Salvador Published: Saturday | May 30, 2009
Gordon Williams, Gleaner Writer WASHINGTON, DC, United States:The last time Jamaica faced El Salvador in a football international in the United States, it was much easier to fry an egg on the pitch than find the back of the net.
Temperatures in that friendly soared well above 100 degrees, forcing a slowdown game pace and dehydrated players to the sidelines for impromptu water breaks.
Tonight's rematch at the RFK Stadium here at 7 (6 Jamaica time) is likely to be far more conducive to football - with temperatures expected around the 60s - than that infamous 0-0 draw in Dallas, Texas.
Both teams are eyeing different targets too, but that doesn't mean the match will be any less hotly contested.
tough game
"The weather is different ," said Carlos de los Cobos, El Salvador's coach for the game last July. "It won't be that hot. The game will be faster because the weather is cooler. But I see a tough game. Jamaica players are very strong, fast."
Jamaica's coach John Barnes would prefer if his team exercises more patience. In last Saturday's match against Haiti in Fort Lauderdale, the Reggae Boyz managed to rally with 10 men to earn a 2-2 draw, but the coach was not pleased with the team's inability to keep the ball. Tonight, he hopes to see marked improvement, especially since ball possession was one of the main focuses of training sessions earlier this week.
"Players have to make themselves more available," Barnes said yesterday. "We have been working on our support play. We did a lot of keep ball in training and we will be trying to make more passes than against Haiti."
The other concern is the fitness
Asafa Powell (left), former 100-metre world-record holder from Jamaica, and Tyson Gay, American record holder at 100 metres, pose for photos after a Reebok Grand Prix athletics meet news conference in New York on Thursday.
of Damion 'Stew Peas' Stewart, who scored Jamaica's late equaliser against Haiti. The central defender strained his groin in training this week.
To compound matters, Claude Davis, another central defender, was sent off against Haiti and will not be available for Jamaica tonight. Neither will veteran defender Ian 'Pepe' Goodison, who was invited but did not turn up for training camp during the week and was not considered for selection.
A spokesman for the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) said yesterday that the organisation is aware that Goodison arrived in Jamaica earlier this week, but the JFF was unable to contact him.
But according to Barnes, Goodison's lack of match fitness would have made him doubtful against El Salvador anyway and his absence tonight will not be a huge drawback for Jamaica.
"Him not being here is not a problem," the coach said.
Among the possible replacements in central defence are Dicoy Williams, who was not selected for the Haiti game and Adrian Reid.
Yesterday, Barnes, who introduced a 4-4-2 formation against Haiti, said he is likely to go the same route again tonight, although he did not fully commit to the new scheme due to Stewart's pending condition.
brighter note
On a brighter note, Jamaica expect attacking midfielder Jermaine Johnson to return. Johnson was sent off against Nigeria in February and was ineligible for the Haiti game. It is also "very possible", according to Barnes, that newcomer Devon Hodges, the leading scorer in the just completed Digicel Premier League who missed the Haiti game because of visa issues, will play. Other options up front are Nicholas Addlery, who scored against Haiti on his debut, Roland Dean, a starter against Haiti, Navion Boyd and Keammar Daley. Addlery joined the team here from his club in Puerto Rico.
midfield pairing
The central midfield pairing of Jason Morrison and Richards Edwards should get the start again with Johnson, Wolry Wolfe, Eric Vernon, Oraine Simpson and Michael Campbell vying for places on the flanks. Four Boyz who played against El Salvador in Texas, Reid, Wolfe, Vernon and Daley, are available tonight. Shawn Sawyers, who was a reserve last July, should start in goal.
El Salvador, ranked 102 in the world by football's governing body FIFA, are preparing for the vital final round World Cup 2010 qualifying games, starting next week. Jamaica are tuning up for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in early July. Both teams are in the same Gold Cup bracket and are scheduled to complete group play against each other on July 10 in Miami, Florida. Therefore, tonight's matchup will offer a timely sneak preview of what could be a crucial Gold Cup battle.
"I know playing against Jamaica will be a good test," de los Cobos said. "This game will be important to know where we are."
"It will be interesting to see how we match up against their strongest team," said Barnes, who explained that about "10 to 11" players are still missing from his ideal Gold Cup squad.
Tonight the "Cuscatlecos" will be brimming with confidence following a decisive 3-1 win against Ecuador on Wednesday in Los Angeles, California.
"We played very good," de los Cobos said. "Ecuador is a very good team, very fast. Usually they play at a very good level in South America."
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Boyz tie El Salvador 0-0 WASHINGTON DC, USA – The Reggae Boyz on Saturday stretched their unbeaten run against El Salvador to six when they played to a 0-0 draw with their Central American rivals at the RFK stadium in front of a crowd of 30,313 spectators.
It was a creditable performance from the group of players which was not as strong as the one which played to a 2-2 with Haiti last week. With the draw the Jamaicans now have an overall record of 18 games, six wins, seven draws and losses against El Salvador. In friendly internationals the result is now two wins, four draws and tow losses in favour of the Jamaicans. They also maintain a record of 17 goals against the Salvadoreans and conceding 11.
The Reggae Boyz play their third match in the build up for the Gold Cup against Panama in Jamaica on Sunday June 7 at 6:00pm at the national Stadium.
TEAMS: Jamaica: GK- 13- Dwayne Miller, RB- 8-Eric Vernan (17- Oraine Simpson 76th), LB – 18-Rafe Wolfe, CB-6- Adrian Reid, CB – 3-Damion Stewart, RM- 12- Jermaine Johnson, LM – 9- Navian Boyd (10 – Wolry Wolfe), CM – 7 - Jason Morrison, CM – 2 - Richard Edwards, F - 4- Nicholas Addlery (5- Hodges 67th) and F- 11 - Roland Dean (16 – Keammar Daley 81st).
Subs- Shawn Sawyers, Dicoy Williams, Oraine Simpson, Wolry Wolfe, Keammar Daley, Devon Hodges, Michael Campbell, Andre Campbell.
El Salvador: GK- 1-Miguel Montes, RB- 12-Manuel Salazar, CB- 17- Victor Turcios, CB- 2- Alexandre Escobar LB- 7- Reynaldo Hernandez (13- Deris Umanzor 87th) , RM- 6- Julio Martinez, CM- 20 -Denis Alas (11 – Rodolfo Zelaya 76th), CM- 16 -Oscar Jiminez (10 – Eliseo Quintanilla 46th), LM- 23 - Carlos Monteagudo (14 – Salvador Coreas 46th), F- 21- William Torres (8 - Osael Romero 76th), F- 19 – Williams Reyes (9 – Rudis Corrales 76th) Officials: Referee- Mark Kadlecik, Referee’s Assistant- George Gansner, Referee’s Assistant – Greg Barkey, Fourth Official – Andrew Chapin.
By Nodley Wright Communications Manager Reggae Boyz
