Registered: 03/25/01
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Loc: Miramar, FL, USA
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Capt. B need to get our preparation solidified for this match ASAP. There is no time for a training camp so we need to solidify a game for August 15 ideally with easy travel to/from England and Norway.
We can skip to local training camp foolishness and save dat $$$ for the youth teams.
Tappa needs to have his 28 man squad confirmed by August 1st and in training August 12th.
Reggae Boy hungry to end winless streak against US
Revenge. It's not the exact word Omar Cummings uses to describe his burning desire for Jamaica to beat the United States in football for the first time at the senior level.
But his tone - serious and direct whenever the subject rises - betrays the national striker's intentions.
For Cummings, helping to shatter the American Dream when Jamaica face the US on September 7 and 11 in the semi-final round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying runs deeper than boosting Jamaica's chances to advance to the final stages. It would also help silence the constant taunt - mostly good-natured - he hears while playing in Major League Soccer (MLS): Jamaica are not good enough to win against the US.
It makes him cringe.
"(Beating the US) is for national pride," Cummings explained days ahead of his scheduled return to action with Colorado Rapids, after being sidelined over a month with an ankle sprain.
"But it's also for bragging rights in the league; bragging rights even in my own locker room."
DANGEROUS FORWARD
To make matters worse, Cummings, an MLS All-Star and one of the most dangerous forwards in North America's top league, has never had an opportunity to directly influence the outcome of 18 internationals played between the countries since 1988.
The Reggae Boyz lost 10 and drew eight. His most recent opportunity was the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, but another ankle injury snuffed out that wish. The US beat Jamaica 2-0 in the quarter-final, ramping up Cummings' anticipation for the next contest.
"I have never played against them (US) before," he said. "It's something that I definitely look forward to."
His first step is to get fit again, score goals in MLS and earn a recall to the national team. That won't be simple. Luton Shelton, Ryan Johnson, Marlon King, Ricardo Fuller and Tramaine Stewart are already ahead of him for starting spots at forward.
"I hope to play then," he said last Thursday. "I've been practising with the team. I would hope once I'm fit and ready I would get the call (for Jamaica). It's up to the coach (Theodore Whitmore)."
TEAMWORK IS KEY
Despite his own desire to beat the US, Cummings, probably the Boyz's best all-round attacker, knows teamwork will be key to breaking Jamaica's winless streak against the US. He watched the Boyz's first two qualifying games - a 2-1 home win against Guatemala followed by a 0-0 draw with Antigua and Barbuda away - with mixed reviews.
"The first game was good," he said. "But the last I think we should have done better. We might consider ourselves lucky. It was good to get a clean sheet, but I was thinking we could get three points."
However, Cummings believes Jamaica is on the right track towards World Cup 2014 in Brazil. Advancing from the semi-final group should not be a major problem. Jamaica and US are tied atop the group with four points each.
"I definitely see Jamaica coming out of this round," he said. "No reason we shouldn't."
But a tricky set of obstacles loom in September and fate has not been kind to Jamaica against the US. The Boyz have come close to upsetting the Americans, but appeared jinxed a few times. In October 1997, for example, during the 'Road To France' campaign, the US were wrongly awarded a penalty in Washington, DC, although the ball was clearly handled outside the box in a 1-1 draw. In August 2004, a painful defensive error in time added on cancelled Jamaica's 1-0 lead at the National Stadium.
Cummings, who has played against many of the current US squad in MLS, believes Jamaica must solve the mind game against the US, along with winning the physical battles, on the field.
"I think obviously it's a mental thing because we haven't won," he said of Jamaica's unflattering record against the US.
The Americans, however, are never to be underestimated, explained Cummings, but he's unsure if most Jamaicans share that view.
TOO MUCH RESPECT
"I think Jamaicans probably underrate the US, but not the (Jamaican) players," said the speedy and skilful 29-year-old from Old Harbour, who has scored seven goals in close to 30 appearances for the Boyz.
"We respect them. (But) we probably showed them too much respect (at the Gold Cup)."
The September showdowns will tell what the Boyz have learned. The first game is in Kingston. Advantage Jamaica. But Cummings believes he will also have an edge for the return leg if he plays. He enjoyed a successful university career in Ohio, the US state that will host the September 11 rematch.
Less than three months away, Cummings can already feel mounting enthusiasm to confront the long-standing foe.
"Definitely," he said. "Especially because it's the US and it's kinda in my backyard, hour-and-a-half from my college."
Sounds like a perfect plot for revenge, even if Cummings doesn't say it.
"The first game was good," he said. "But the last I think we should have done better. We might consider ourselves lucky. It was good to get a clean sheet, but I was thinking we could get three points."
Well...at least an honest opinion from a senior Jamaican player; im mussi no 'fraid sey Tappa no call im up fi di USA game...
But its good to see his honesty and courage fi speak im mind.
Compare this to Tappa's and Montesso's mealy mouth responses to what must be raging criticism going on in Jamaican football circles back home now.
No one caan tell mi sey a no so...I know Jamaican football to well for that.
"We respect them. (But) we probably showed them too much respect (at the Gold Cup)." Cummings has right mindset. It's about time Jamaica stop giving teams too much respect. The players are up for the challenge, so let us hope the coaching staff prepare a game plan with utmost believe and confidence in themselves and players to get the win.
If the R'boyz play in England on August 15th do you think they can draw a good gate?
Who we supposed to be playing ? Is it Ghana ?
It depends on where the match is being played and who the opponent is; if it is Ghana or one of the bigger African name countries, it would have to be played in the London area where the Jamaican and African communities live to have any reasonable support.
I've said on the forum over and over again, the JFF is NOT using England's football system to its greatest advantage.
I will be the first to agree that England remains, at heart, a white-dominated, racist society but much progress has been made from past days and there are people here, especially in football, who really do try to live up to what they preach.
Burrell and the JFF seem to have taken an antagonistic and adverserial approach towards English football..period.
Might that have something to do the the FA sending the bailiffs to the JFF offices and seizing assets because of unpaid debts ? Jamaica's best bet for support in England is to form a relationship with the biggest football clubs that have Jamaicaan players...Stoke City FC would be the best bet because of Ricardo Fuller...
And arrange friendly matches with the Reggaeboyz against the club sides....
The Reggaeboyz playing Stoke City up at the Brittania is a guaranteed sold-out match.
Birmingham City, with Marlon King, or Motherwell up in Scotland, with Omar Daley and Chris Humphrey are clubs that would attract decent support in friendlies against Jamaica as well.
The debacle of a match with England and Jamaica in 2006 still attracted a 70,000 crowd...because it was ENGLAND that Jamaica was playing.
If Jamaica want to attract crowd support in England they have to play at grounds where there is that support for the local club already...only the die-hard Jamaican or African fans will make any attempt to attend a match involving Jamaica and they are in no great majority.
If suppport within British football is what Jamaica wants and needs, this is the way to go.
A pre-season friendly against an African side on Aug 15 will not produce any great benefit for Jamaica, either financially or football-wise.
BY HOWARD WALKER Observer Senior Reporter walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Digicel says it has big promotional plans for the Nnational Stadium on September 7, when Jamaica's Reggae Boyz host the mighty USA in a CONCACAF Group A semi-final World Cup qualifying match-up.
Following Jamaica's 2-1 win over Guatemala on June 8, Conor Looney, Digicel's marketing director, told the Jamaica Observer that Digicel has time to plan for the "big showdown".
We have a little bit of planning to do as we have a little time until the US game and we always will have something to delight and surprise the Jamaican public," revealed Looney.
The Digicel executive was pleased with the crowd support for the opening match and he thinks that support will be crucial for the home games.
"Digicel is proud to support the Jamaican football team and it was great to see that the Jamaican people came out in force and created a lot of noise and were definitely the 12th man and spurred the team onto victory against Guatemala," said Looney.
The Reggae Boyz are on top of the group with four points, the same as USA with Guatemala and Antigua and Barbuda with one each.
Jamaica started with a good 2-1 win over Guatemala before playing to a listless 0-0 draw with lesser-fancied Antigua and Barbuda in that country four days later.
"But it was a good start for Jamaica and we are delighted to be associated with the team... it's great to be associated with a winning team as a business," he noted.
"As a business Digicel has been a strong supporter of sports generally in Jamaica since we arrived in 2001. Specifically in terms of football, we have been a supporter of Jamaican football since 2004 at all levels, and most recently, we have made a significant commitment by signing a three-year contract with the JFF," Looney said.
Though it was not officially disclosed, the figure of the life of the sponsorship is rumoured to be approaching $200 million.
The sponsorship will cover expenses for the senior men's team, Under-23, Under-20, Under-17 and Under-15 teams. It will also entail the staging of local and international training camps and international games ahead of participation in major FIFA and CONCACAF tournaments, as well as planned Digicel roll-out campaigns to drive fan support.
In May, Digicel announced their grassroots programme aimed at unearthing and nurturing football talent throughout the island between the ages of six and 12 years old.
Two clinics will be held per parish each month in each year until 2014, with the first phase set to end in December 2012. Each festival will feature 100 children, who will be under the tutelage of over 20 coaching educators.
Registered: 06/26/12
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Loc: Maryland, USA
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What about Keith Kelly for the middle? The middle is empty. Even if you have the great forwards like Mattocks and Ryan if noone feeds the ball to them how will they score?
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Even though everyone is entitled to their opinion we are not obligated to listen!
whats about this keith kelly dude, he don't even get enough start in the RSPL here in Jamaica. Betta unnuh did seh Michael CAmpbell, Vincent Earl or Jermaine Hue. Come on betta than dat. he represented at the youth stage but since then only thing i see him gaining is weight.
Registered: 06/26/12
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Yes..gained tons of weight and parties like it is going out of style. But....he is working hard on it..he is on a program to lose the weight and get the partying down to a minimum! Even with all that weight gain...his style of play is just what the Senior team NEEDS...Fuller dont start for Stoke but yet he is int he squad. What has Goodison been up to, but yet he got invited? We have to learn to utilize the talent that we have at home..quickly too..before we find ourselves looking from the outside, in at the FIFA rankings.
_________________________
Even though everyone is entitled to their opinion we are not obligated to listen!
Yes..gained tons of weight and parties like it is going out of style. But....he is working hard on it..he is on a program to lose the weight and get the partying down to a minimum! Even with all that weight gain...his style of play is just what the Senior team NEEDS...Fuller dont start for Stoke but yet he is int he squad. What has Goodison been up to, but yet he got invited? We have to learn to utilize the talent that we have at home..quickly too..before we find ourselves looking from the outside, in at the FIFA rankings.
Yes..gained tons of weight and parties like it is going out of style
And yet, is this the type of unprofessional player that Tappa should use over the English-based professionals...who earn their living playing football...and cannot afford to gain weight and party like its going out of style.
Maybe this is why Keith Kelly didn't make the grade at Paris St. Germain ?
Some man have dem football priorities waaay wrong !
Yet Jamaica running up against CONCACAF sides that are only made up of full-time professionals...and expect to succeeed with less ?
Tappa take my foolish advice Bro. Jamaica will be at a big disadvantage playing away to USA on 3 days rest. They are going to be spent after the game on 7th as that game is a must win, so we will have to go all out.
I think Tappa should bring in 4 new atarters on front line for the return game in US. The strikers and mids will be most tired after first game as they do most running. I'd the use all 3 subs in second half to keep fresh legs on field.
There is no amount of preperation that can get you ready to play 2 games in 5 days. Not even the big, bad and fit USA could pull it off..
Some might say well the USA playing on 3 days rest too. That's true but they are home and we're doing the traveling. The team that has to travel is at disadvantage in these situations. That's why both Jam and USA ended drawing games against weaker opponents on the Road after having to travel on 3 days rest. Both Jam and USA were flat in second half...
There is absolutely no way in hell we can use the same starting 11 in back to back games against US in Sept, and get favorable results.
Registered: 03/25/01
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Loc: Miramar, FL, USA
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Burrell is also looking forward to Jamaica's September 7 WCQ against the USA.
"Our next World Cup game is going to be against the big USA, but they are coming into 'The Office' (National Stadium) and what are we going to do in 'The Office'? We are going to deal with them in 'The Office'," Burrell stated.
"We are so far receiving heavy demand for tickets and, therefore, I would want to encourage everyone to purchase tickets early," he added.
Prices
For the September 7 encounter, it will cost patrons $1,500 to enter the bleachers, $5,000 for a category one seat in the grandstand and $3,500 for category two.
"These prices might sound high, but they aren't because these are the same prices which we charged four years ago," Burrell pointed out.
I had to post this article on the Football Discussion Forum. This is the science that needs to be the basics for all Athletes that represent JahMekYah. People I n I need to be in the "Know"...as in "mankind know thyself"....it is the ultimate formula that breeds the kind of Victory that the Reggae boyz can and will have over the USA mens soccer team come September 2012...here it is:
KINGSTON, Jamaica: Glen Mills, coach of reigning 100- and 200-meter Olympic champion and world record-holder Usain Bolt and world 100m champion Yohan Blake, sees future champions as a heritage of the Olympics.
Bolt's heroics, expected to continue in August at the sprint events, and the excitement stirred by Blake, who won the world title last year after Bolt was disqualified, is already inspiring a new Jamaican generation.
"With that kind of early development "In Jamaica, track and field is almost a way of life. It's a strong passion in our deep rich heritage," Mills said. , and the icons we have in the sport, athletes are more highly motivated. These are their heroes. They want to achieve what they have achieved.
"It has been the tonic that has kept our athletes performing at a high level year after year."
Blake, who stunned Bolt over the 100m and 200m at the Jamaica trials, sees the chance to escape from poverty as more motivation for Jamaican youth to seek a sprint career.
"It's the poor background we come from," Blake said when asked about the secret to Jamaican sprint success. "We always want something and we go for it."
At the trials, two world leading times, including a stunning 9.75sec in the 100m and 19.80sec in the 200m, rocketted Blake into the spotlight and relegated Bolt to second billing.
Jamaicans have won 53 Olympic medals since first participating at the 1948 London Games, all but one of those medals coming in athletics and most of that haul coming in sprint events.
At Beijing, Veronica Campbell-Brown won her second consecutive 200m Olympic gold, helping a total Jamaican medal haul of a record 11 medals, a record six of them gold, including world record turns by Bolt at 100, 200 and in the 4x100 relay.
Bolt, Blake and veteran Asafa Powell are among the stars who give the Jamaicans potential to sweep the 100m podium at London.
"It's more than possible," says Blake.
And Shelly-Ann Fraser hopes to defend her Olympic 100m gold, the first Olympic 100m crown for a Jamaican woman.
"The 100 meters should be center stage in athletics," Mills said. "The Olympics take center stage. I'm certain everyone will be looking to see what's happening in London."
Mills is counting upon his years of work with Blake to have already perfected flawless form and the mental discipline and determination to hold off any rival.
"It's important to train the sprinter's mind. He has to believe he is unbeatable," Mills said. "He has to see it. He has to believe it. He cannot have any anxiety. He must be in total control.
"He must focus. He must have explosive strength while blocking out everything else. Any interference in the transfer from the brain to the muscles will not help that explosive strength.
"You have to have that all-conquering mind."
Bolt has not proven more difficult to train as he has enjoyed success.
"It's not difficult for him to be able to focus on the training he needs to achieve this high level of performances. His actitivites were part of his makeup prior to achieving these outstanding performances," Mills said.
"He has a very competitive mind. He has a mind that demands the best at the highest level. We have been able to hone that over the years. You have to be able to have that focus, that aggressiveness, for his sprinting."
Mills, 62, sent Bolt to Europe to run in top meets ahead of the Olympics while training partner Blake tuned up in America.
"They train at the same time every day. They do not necessarily train the same type of programme," Mills said.
"One is a sprinter with a higher degree of training than the other. One has a greater volume of endurance. One is a sprinter who has a wider range. Yohan doesn't have that range. They have different needs in technical preparation." http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/a...profile_oneline
"It's important to train the sprinter's mind. He has to believe he is unbeatable," Mills said. "He has to see it. He has to believe it. He cannot have any anxiety. He must be in total control.
"He must focus. He must have explosive strength while blocking out everything else. Any interference in the transfer from the brain to the muscles will not help that explosive strength.
"You have to have that all-conquering mind." Transfer this chain of thought to the footballer and rivet it through their minds the correct way. Our Footballers are strong, speedy and quick. the final frontier in the development of world beaters in the football Arena is Mental. Once the Coach or coaches can impart this Stratagem into the Footballers then the sky will definitely be the limit. As a nation we have our own everything in both worlds , the good and the bad. Our greatest mental Prophet Marcus Mosiah Garvey blessed I n I as "Lords Of Creation" . The JFA is doing a good by implementing local coaching schools and coaching certification. Once we start putting out Football Coaches that rival the local Athletics coaches then I know we have reached. Once the coaches realize that as "Lords Of Creation" it is within our scope to recreate Football in our own JahMekYah style. We can shock the entire Football World because it is within our grasp. We have the Talent and for too long we have not fully harnessed the talented Footballers into a group of World Beaters. Each Footballer who wears the National shirt must realize the importance of their Mission and to never be distracted. Any distraction will cost dearly.The time is right the year is right and the games will be right after a Great Olympic Success for the nation. Coach Tappa Whitmore if the I read these forum posts I n I implore the man to use the blessing that was bestowed upon you as a "Lord Of Creation" , to create the missing pieces to the puzzle and move forward to the next level of JahMekYah Football. After all it will take Great Patriotic Football MINDS to create the new paradigm for the benefit of the Nation. Check out this reasoning and see and KNOW that this is a real possibility...wadada
"I mentioned on my post before the comparison of the administration of our National Track and field Programme and that of the National Football program and i was ridiculed by some. If only Burrell and JFF had the approach of Glen Mills.
