Well done, Boyz - Whitmore pleased with team’s performances following Nations League results
Published:Wednesday | September 11, 2019 | 12:27 AMDaniel Wheeler/Gleaner Writer
So far, all is going according to plan for the Reggae Boyz in the Concacaf Nations League.
The Jamaican men’s senior football team returned to the island yesterday at the Norman Manley International Airport after their 4-0 win against Guyana in their Group C fixture at the Synthetic Track and Field Facility in Leonora, Guyana, on Monday.
Head coach Theodore Whitmore was pleased with the result, especially on getting goals from various sources in the first two games.
“I’m very pleased. It’s a continuation from the last game against the Antigua team. It’s good to know that we are finding the back of the net. We are not depending on one player to score,” Whitmore said.
The Jamaicans manhandled Antigua and Barbuda 6-0 at the Montego Bay Sports Complex last Friday.
“You would have seen last night (Monday night) Alvas Powell came up with two goals, and not from set pieces, so it’s a plus for us,” Whitmore added.
Powell and striker Dever Orgill scored two goals each as the Jamaicans made quick work of the Guyanese to stay perfect in Group C of League B with two straight wins and a goal difference of +10.
Whitmore expressed his delight in the improvements that the team has made collectively and stressed the need to find balance to get the best from his players.
“We are trying to find the right balance. We have seen a lot of signs of improvement, and it augurs well for the technical team,” he added.
Whitmore stated that the added motivation of maintaining their top-four Concacaf ranking, as well as qualification to the 2012 Gold Cup, was an asset in generating the desired results.
“What contributed to it is the objective. There is a lot at stake now. This is not a friendly game,” he said. “This is an international competition, and we must do well. World Cup qualification is right around the corner, and this tournament qualifies us for 2021 Gold Cup.”
Whitmore is looking no further than the next set of Nations League fixtures, which are set to take place in October with a home-and-away set against pointless Aruba. With the added stakes of promotion to League A, as well as guaranteed automatic qualification into the six-team World Cup qualifying final round based on the new format, he is taking nothing for granted.
“It’s a step-by-step process. We have passed this hurdle. The next step is Aruba. So as I said before, it’s [about] planning, preparation, and execution,” Whitmore said.