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All eyes on the Boyz - Scouts rave over U-17s physical talent but question awareness Published: Sunday | June 26, 2011 0 Comments Williams Williams
Gordon Williams, Gleaner Writer
MONTERREY, Mexico:
Jamaica's team at the 2011 FIFA World Cup attracted plenty attention from football scouts and agents who have flocked to Mexico in search of young talent to fill professional club rosters.
But while the scouts, who represent some of the biggest organisations in the world, are generally impressed with the Boyz' physical talents - including speed and technical skill - they are concerned about their lack of awareness of the game's finer points at the highest level.
"(The Jamaicans) are incredibly physical to play the game," assessed Fernando Clavijo, executive director of soccer for Traffic Sports USA, an affiliate of Traffic Sports in Brazil which has hosted several national teams, including Jamaica's current Under-17 squad, for training camps and games.
"(But they are) very (tactically) undisciplined. That's pretty much what it is."
Trinidad and Tobago's Alvin Corneal, a member of FIFA's technical committee at the World Cup, has been impressed by the individual talent of the Jamaicans, making special reference to Romario Williams, and believes the scouts will be interested in them as well.
"I'm sure, there's no question about it," said Corneal, before Jamaica drew 1-1 with France last Friday. "The guys have got the flair, they've got the physical capability. What the (club) coaches are going to say is 'we're gonna look and if we've got a 17-year-old like that we can teach him a few things. If he uses his own abilities, we may have a player on our hands'."
Jamaica lacked experience
Others support his view but stressed that Jamaica lacked experience. Clavijo, who has coached Haiti and teams in US Major League Soccer, refused to fault the players, insisting that lack of exposure to consistent, good competition is the problem for Jamaica's youngsters. The fallout, if the trend continues, could be disastrous.
"You cannot blame the players who do not have the opportunity to compete at different levels and to be able to see what you need to change and not change," Clavijo explained.
"If the levels of play don't become better for some of those players they're never gonna be able to achieve their goal. Watching them play in this kind of tournament pretty much gives you a balance, where they are and at the same time, with a good eye, where they can be.
"I think (Jamaica) are still naïve at the international level and here (at the World Cup) you pay a big price," he added. "You do it in the CONCACAF area, you may get away with it."
However, scouts here conceded that the search for football's talent pool, once restricted to places like South America and Europe, has expanded rapidly and now includes Caribbean countries like Jamaica.
"I think you can find a good player and a good talent anywhere," said Francis Cagigao, who scouts for Arsenal Football Club in England and who attended the match between Jamaica and Argentina. "So basically I'm here to have a look and see what type of talents Jamaica has.
"We're looking at players constantly," he added. "At our club we look at players in the Caribbean as well."
Cagigao said there is no bias against players from smaller football nations like Jamaica. The objective at the Under-17 World Cup, he explained, is to spot players who can be developed into quality professionals.
Clavijo said the deficiencies of Jamaica's players are generally the easier parts of the problem to fix.
"I think the Jamaican players (have) always been described as a very physical, quick, not too organised, not too disciplined," he said. "And I think, when you're talking about tactically, how to become more disciplined, is to change the scenario, put them in a different environment. And these are very easy things to coach.
"Now, you cannot teach speed, you cannot teach physicality, you cannot teach technique. So it becomes difficult. But when discipline is all that you're concerned about and tactical awareness of the game, those are things you can work with and that is why we always feel comfortable."
While none of the scouts were willing to reveal who, if any, from Jamaica's team has caught their eye, Clavijo admitted there has been plenty talent displayed by the Boyz here.
"Oh, they attract a lot of attention, absolutely," he said.
Most of these players are coming from teams where the football is played how it was generations ago. If you were to take all the under 17 players and put them in professional club setups for the next two years, half of their tactical issues would be settled and they would easily qualify for the Under 20 World Cup.
Just watch replay of Jam vs france yesterday and I'm still waiting for Omar Holness to show mi something. Si Omar get a ball in french attacking third and could hear the jamaican coaching staff screaming "Omar man ina u back!!!" at least 3 or 4 times. He trapped Ball on his chest, brought ball down to his feet and turned right into French defender and lost the Ball.
Alvas Powell is the standout for me.. The Goalkeeper looks like he should have been starter and Captain all along. He did a good job trying to keep the defense organized. U really need a lot a patience to deal with kids at this level, hats off to Downswell.
Not really ! They are coaches, not magicians. The article is not telling us anything we dont know. The elements missing from the JA game cannot be fixed in a few months, like we seem to think before each tournament.
Most of the other teams at the WC are comprised of players with professional club affiliations. Even the team from the Congo has 18 members of the squad from the same Academy.
An academy in JA will make a difference for select age group teams, but will that change the average high school footballer's attitude to the game, maybe not.
Not really ! They are coaches, not magicians. The article is not telling us anything we dont know. The elements missing from the JA game cannot be fixed in a few months, like we seem to think before each tournament.
Most of the other teams at the WC are comprised of players with professional club affiliations. Even the team from the Congo has 18 members of the squad from the same Academy.
An academy in JA will make a difference for select age group teams, but will that change the average high school footballer's attitude to the game, maybe not.
Agreed. This is what I keep saying. Most of the players we are facing are coming from professional situations; they are not schoolboys. We have no real incubator for their talents, and so it will continue to be hit and miss. Some will improve when they get foreign exposure, but others will merely fall by the wayside. Jamaica did well under the circumstances, but to do better will mean that we improve the local ground.
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I think the youth technical staff will be able to id the best 8-10 players from this squad and have them training in an academy environment for the next 12-18 months. If the top players return to schoolboy football, they will regress!!!
The need more consistent exposure to higher level matches.
Stay deh... yu tink Burrell business nout coaching... All Burrell want is the raw material.... Just like the slave factory Burrell carry dem guh ah Brazil, grease dem up and shine dem up till dem buff and look sweet...
Now de player dem sell off!!!
Reggeaboyz factory open up again... Contract thing fom his POV was a stroke of genius...
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I'm the only one that realize that Downswell has no idea what his best team is?
vs japan - kemo wallace goes to cb and barnes (a winger by trade) plays left back
vs argentina - Holness switched from CM to 2nd striker (waste of his talent)..powell switched to CM...Romario Williams moved from Cm to Cb..barnes moved from Left back, back to Left wing
vs france - omar played upfront ALONE (WASTEEEE), wright switched from forward to CM (WTF??), No Idea what role walker had? was he supposed to be infront of omar or supporting him
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Originally Posted By: jagunner
I'm the only one that realize that Downswell has no idea what his best team is?
vs japan - kemo wallace goes to cb and barnes (a winger by trade) plays left back
vs argentina - Holness switched from CM to 2nd striker (waste of his talent)..powell switched to CM...Romario Williams moved from Cm to Cb..barnes moved from Left back, back to Left wing
vs france - omar played upfront ALONE (WASTEEEE), wright switched from forward to CM (WTF??), No Idea what role walker had? was he supposed to be infront of omar or supporting him
Downswell is a clown lol
I am not a stringent or die-hard supporter of Mr. Downswell, but he has qualified Jamaica for two (2) FIFA youth world cups and led Jamaica to a Pan America silver medal, if he is a clown, we need a few more CLOWNS coaching youth football in Jamaica.
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Battle-weary Under-17s arrive home today
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
MEXICO CITY, Mexico — Jamaica's Under-17 footballers are on their way home following their firs-round exit from the FIFA World Cup and head coach Wendell Downwell says had it not being for the youngster's naivety, they could still be in the tournament.
The Jamaican delegation are scheduled to arrive home 1:30 pm today after travelling from Monterrey to Mexico City on Sunday.
MEXICO CITY, Mexico —Jamaica’s head of delegation Michael Ricketts (right) leads the Young Reggae Boyz to the Monterrey Airport on their way to Mexico City on Sunday after being eliminated from the FIFA Under-17 World Cup on Friday. (Photo: Howard Walker)
MEXICO CITY, Mexico —Jamaica’s head of delegation Michael Ricketts (right) leads the Young Reggae Boyz to the Monterrey Airport on their way to Mexico City on Sunday after being eliminated from the FIFA Under-17 World Cup on Friday. (Photo: Howard Walker) 1/1
They finished at the bottom of the four-team group with one point, behind Argentina (three points), France (five) and surprise group winners Japan (seven).
Jamaica lost 0-1 to Japan, 1-2 to Argentina and drew 1-1 with France after taking an early lead.
"If you look at the decisions that we made especially from the players on the field, I would say they were a little naïve. But I wouldn't blame them because it came as a result of the lack of international exposure," Downswell pointed out.
"We started out tentatively at first where our emphasis was on team shape and organisation. Then we switched that to individual responsibilities and shuffled a few players after we realised that our offensive thrust was not the best," said Downswell, as he relaxed in the lobby of the Camino Real Hotel in Mexico City.
"It was unfortunate against Argentina... and we came up against France and our aim was to play attractive football and show the world. When you looked at the overall performance, I think they did well," he pointed out.
"When you look at it from a population standpoint, you look at a Japan with over 100 million; France somewhere about 60 million and Argentina near 50; we are 2.5 million, so if you take those factors into consideration, I think we have done ourselves proud," Downswell argued.
With the final 16 teams to the second round all but known, Argentina who qualified from Jamaica's group as the best third-placed team, will play England and the coach is disappointed that it is not Jamaica playing the Motherland.
"A victory against France would have put us ahead of Argentina in the next round as we have a far superior goal average," he noted.
The head coach also lamented the missed opportunity in exposing the players to the camp in Valencia, Spain, which he claims would have done them a world of good heading into the World Cup.
Meanwhile, the young Reggae Boyz who exited the tournament on Friday, left their Presidente Intercontinental Hotel on Sunday afternoon enroute to Mexico City where they will stay overnight before heading to Jamaica via Panama.
Normally after dropping out of a FIFA tournament, the team would leave the following day and the Jamaicans should have left on Saturday but they couldn't get onto a Copa Airline flight which was fully booked.
With flights scheduled for only Saturdays and Tuesdays to Jamaica, the team took the time for some sighting-seeing and shopping at the mall and got some well needed rest.
It has been a long road for the teenagers spending six weeks in Brazil alongside several camps in Jamaica, missing school and will finally get a chance to spend quality time with their families.
Downswell did a much better job than I excpected him to do. Some of things, I didn't agree with, but for the most part he showed the willingness to make adjustments and most of those impacted the games in a positive manner.
Omar Holness is one of the main reasons why this team didn't play to its true potential. The team has to defend a man short when he plays in midfield and when he is a forward his off the ball runs aren't that great, but having his gun foot and passing technique that close to the goal is a plus. At the under 17 the magnitude of the laziness is not fully exposed, but at the Under 20 level we will get some serious beating if he continues to play in midfield like that and we will not get many goalscoring opportunties if he plays at forward like that. I don't know the dynamic in the camp, but from the outside looking in, he should not be the Captain. He is a good captain to have from the corporate sponsors/interviewing perspective, but is a man like Powell or someone else who giving them everything for the team that should be the captain. He is still very young, so hopefully we will see some improvement in those areas.
Downswell did a much better job than I excpected him to do. Some of things, I didn't agree with, but for the most part he showed the willingness to make adjustments and most of those impacted the games in a positive manner.
Omar Holness is one of the main reasons why this team didn't play to its true potential. The team has to defend a man short when he plays in midfield and when he is a forward his off the ball runs aren't that great, but having his gun foot and passing technique that close to the goal is a plus. At the under 17 the magnitude of the laziness is not fully exposed, but at the Under 20 level we will get some serious beating if he continues to play in midfield like that and we will not get many goalscoring opportunties if he plays at forward like that. I don't know the dynamic in the camp, but from the outside looking in, he should not be the Captain. He is a good captain to have from the corporate sponsors/interviewing perspective, but is a man like Powell or someone else who giving them everything for the team that should be the captain. He is still very young, so hopefully we will see some improvement in those areas.
I am in agreement. I commented on his laziness during the France game, and I am surprised that the coaching staff had not flamed his butt for it. It is important that our young players start to learn the importance of hard running and doggedness, because it is easy to fall into playground habits, and then fall out of the game later on.
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The key going forward is allowing the youth technical staff to get our top youths up to the international level. One thing the Brazilians can do well is develop youth players, now the key for the JFF is making sure we can finance it in the long term. As the group grows older, they must continue to face sterner competition, the top players from this group have progressed beyond schoolboy football and should face tougher competition weekly.
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Downswell wants investment in U17s Published: Wednesday | June 29, 2011 0 Comments Jamaica's Under-17 footballer Jamaugh Cunningham (centre) gets the attention of teammate Cardel Benbow (right), as the players carry their luggage upon arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday. - Gladstone Taylor/Photographer Jamaica's Under-17 footballer Jamaugh Cunningham (centre) gets the attention of teammate Cardel Benbow (right), as the players carry their luggage upon arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday. - Gladstone Taylor/Photographer 1 2 >
Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer
JAMAICA'S under-17 football team returned to the island yesterday after a creditable showing at the World Cup, despite not making it past the first round.
The youngsters achieved two major milestones, as they were the first Jamaica team to score at the under-17 FIFA Youth Championship; and they were also the first to gain a point at that level.
This was the second Jamaica team that has made it to the under 17 World Cup, as in 1999 some of the top young players in the country formed part of Jamaica's first team to qualify for the tournament, which was held in New Zealand. However, only a minute number of the players who formed a part of that squad 12 years ago can be found among the current senior team setup.
Solid foundation
Head coach Wendell Downswell is hoping that the same thing will not happen with this current crop of players.
"A solid foundation has been laid and they were quite competitive throughout, it is just for us to build on this," Downswell said, shortly after touching down at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday.
"We can't, after this World Cup, just forget about them and it is when qualifiers come around again we go and seek for them again."
He added: "We have to invest in these youngsters, we have started the process and it is just for us to continue. What we would like to see is that a larger volume of these players, having got this international exposure at the World Cup, make the transition."
Downswell has his own ideas as to how the continuous development of these players can be achieved.
"As a team you have to enter them in the local competitions, probably the under-20 and under-21 competitions and then between that you have some international games for them," Downswell proposed.
"Some may go overseas, but we have to maintain contact with them and the possibility of getting them some scholarships locally needs to be vigorously explored at the likes of G.C. Foster (College), University of Technology (UTech) and University of the West Indies (UWI)," he added.
Disappointed
The young Reggae Boyz finished at the bottom of the four-team group with one point, having lost 1-0 and 2-1 to Japan and Argentina, respectively. Their lone point came in their 1-1 draw with France, in their final game of the tournament.
Downswell, despite being pleased with the team's overall performance, was, however, disappointed with them not advancing past the first round.
"We are pleased with the performance of the team itself as the youngsters demonstrated that they are quite competent throughout the tournament," Downswell said.
"It was a bit unfortunate and I am somewhat disappointed that we didn't advance to the next round."
He added: "Argentina, which had a worse goal average than us, advanced and they did that by virtue of beating us 2-1 and that is a game that we could have won."
Downswell, who still regrets the fact that the team did not get the opportunity to train in Spain prior to the tournament, believes the major disparity between Jamaica and the other teams on show was goalscoring.
"I think defensively our organisation was good, but we did not score the opportunities that we created," Downswell expressed. "This is something we have to look at and not only our strikers, but in general our goalscoring machinery."
I am in agreement too. The team that take the field in our last game, excluding Jason wright and Omar Holness would have taken us to the next level. These two kids are two lazy boys, who believe they are super stars already. They should have been replaced in the starting line up and the coaches should have gone with Palmer and Lawson over them, especially in the absent of Powell for the last game, knowing we were in a must win situation to advance. In my opinion, that would've been the best eleven to bring the energy and fight to our opponents, and we would have done a much better job, and that could have advance us to the next stage over Argentina. Because, we should have won those two games against Argentina and France.
Jason can hardly move good on the field, or balance himself on or off the ball from all the games I've watched him played. He is always loosing the ball and doesn't seem to be capable of winning a challenge for the ball. Also, he is the one who lost the ball easily in the France game that leads to the counter attacked and the goal against us. Omar is all about 'showcasing' the captain's armband, by sticking off his arms, big up him chest for the camera and that's it. As a Captain Omar does not lead by example, he always seem to be quitting on the team to me. I think Omar Holness is just another version of Thomas McLean who is only present on teams because they have a long throw lol, j/k...on a serious note thought, look how the yute always a stick out him arm and a look fi sey if him deh pan the big-screen, cho-mon!! if yuh have game yute, den bring it when it matters most nuh...!!
Can somebody tell me why almost everybody always calling-out, "Omar-Omar, try harder nuh Omar, put a foot nuh Omar, move faster or comeback in defense nuh Omar, Omar-Omar!!" If you don't believe mi watch all the last six games, from the qualifier in February this year to our recent completed run in the finals. Coach (sideline), keepers, Alvas Powell and the rest of his team mates always begging him for some team effort (help). Jason now him play and watch himself, the yute nuh have the killer instinct or certain techniques to be a striker, let alone a lone striker on the national team, he's boring. Wallace work hard and does a better job in that position, he's also more creative. In the Japanese and Argentina game Jason squandered golden opportunities in-front of goal, in one of those two games, picture this or look back at the tape, he pass a ball to the keeper, when he should have taken a shot. Because, his elbows were clutched to his sides and both wrist were pointing up in the air looking like they were broken. Hence, the reason there was no proper placement or power behind his contact on the ball, no intensity. It was obvious to me that these two players were sure of their game no matter what, and dem dun know that to, because it shows in their time on the field.
I am in agreement too. The team that take the field in our last game, excluding Jason wright and Omar Holness would have taken us to the next level. These two kids are two lazy boys, who believe they are super stars already. They should have been replaced and the coaches should have gone with Palmer and Lawson over them, especially in the absent of Powell for the last game. In my opinion, that would've been the best eleven to bring the energy and fight to our opponents, and we would have done a much better job, and that could've advance us to the next stage over Argentina. Because, we should have win those games against Argentina and France.
Jason cannot move on the field or balance himself on or off the ball from all the games I've watched him played. He is always loosing the ball and doesn't seem to be capable of winning a challenge for the ball. Also, he is the one who lost the ball easily in the France game that leads to the counter attacked and the goal against us. Omar is all about 'showcasing' the captain's armband, by sticking off his arms, big up him chest for the camera and that's it. As a Captain Omar does not lead by example, he always seem to be quitting on the team to me. I think Omar Holness is just another version of Thomas McLean who is only present on teams because they have a long throw lol, j/k...on a serious note thought, look how the yute always a stick out him arm and a look fi sey if him deh pan the big-screen, cho-mon!! if yuh have game yute, den bring it when it matters most nuh...!!
Can somebody tell me why almost everybody always calling-out, "Omar-Omar, try harder nuh Omar, put a foot nuh Omar, move faster or comeback in defense nuh Omar, Omar-Omar!!" If you don't believe mi watch all the last six games, from the qualifier in February this year to our recent completed run in the finals. Coach (sideline), keepers, Alvas Powell and the rest of his team mates always begging him for some team effort (help). Jason now him play and watch himself, the yute nuh have the killer instinct or certain techniques to be a striker, let alone a lone striker on the national team, he's boring. Wallace work hard and does a better job in that position, he's also more creative. In the Japanese and Argentina game Jason squandered golden opportunities in-front of goal, in one of those two games, picture this or look back at the tape, he pass a ball to the keeper, when he should have taken a shot. Because, his elbows were clutched to his sides and both wrist were pointing up in the air looking like they were broken. Hence, the reason there was no proper placement or power behind his contact on the ball, no intensity. It was obvious to me that these two players were sure of their game no matter what, and them dun know that to because it shows in their time on the field.
Well said Holness need fi Drop and Wright is so Wrong fi di U17
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