Panama a tough nut for Jamaica’s Boyz
Published:Sunday | September 5, 2021 | 12:06 AMAudley Boyd - Sunday Gleaner Writer
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As far as international football is concerned, Panama, for Jamaica, is simply hard to beat. In 18 matches dating back to 1969, the Central Americans’ senior men’s teams have established clear dominance over their Caribbean rivals, winning eight...
As far as international football is concerned, Panama, for Jamaica, is simply hard to beat.
In 18 matches dating back to 1969, the Central Americans’ senior men’s teams have established clear dominance over their Caribbean rivals, winning eight matches, drawing seven and losing on three occasions.
On the last of those three winning occasions for Jamaica, it was striker Darren Mattocks who provided the winning goal, with a 75th-minute penalty kick in their Concacaf Gold Cup fixture.
Their 19th meeting, set today for a 5 p.m. kick-off at the National Stadium, comes in one of the most difficult competition fixtures for a Jamaica-Panama fixture, World Cup qualifying.
The countries have met on six occasions in World Cup play and the Jamaicans have never won.
Panama, on the other hand, won thrice and drew as many.
Former Reggae Boyz captain Shavar Thomas and experienced journalist and football writer, Nodley Wright, expounded on the reasons why Jamaican teams have found Panama a tough nut to crack.
Thomas played against the team on numerous occasions and also against many of their top players, while he was a star in the United States’ Major League Soccer, playing a combined 170 games at Kansas City, LA Galaxy, Chivas USA and Philadelphia Union.
He also captained Jamaica to the senior Caribbean football title on two occasions, including 2010 as team skipper, plus coaching Portmore United to the Premier League title.
PHYSICAL ABILITY
“When you look at our region and our region as not just the Caribbean, but Concacaf, that’s the team that matches up to us in physical ability, technical ability and work rate,” Thomas assessed.
“When you look at El Salvador and Guatemala, we’re bigger, stronger and faster than them. So they’re not equal to us in that aspect of the game,” noted Thomas, a member of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ technical staff.
Continuing, he said: “Even now, looking at the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras; Panama is the only team that is equal to us in every aspect. So that’s why we have a difficult time, we cancel out each other. So most of these results are 1-0, 2-1, close games.”
Wright, who has been covering senior men’s international football for 26 years, including matches between the countries here and in Panama City, said Panama has an ingrained football culture that drives their passion and sharpens their focus on duty to country.
“When it comes on to matchups and especially against Central American teams, Panama to some people may seem the least of them. They don’t have a long history in terms of excellence in football, but they have produced some quality players who have had exposure in Europe and other places,” Wright observed.
“They’ve learnt the craft and have come back to contribute to their country on the field of play and in coaching,” he said. “That kind of transfer of knowledge is priceless. We haven’t benefited from that to the same degree.”
TALENT IDENTIFICATION
Continuing, he said: “Another issue we seem to have a problem with is talent identification and what is required. This is both in preparation for the game and in-game management, we fall short on that. So some of us value the aesthetics, such as the clever play, the tricks and the flicks. But football is much more than that.
“I’d also say that we have made some strides, but not enough,” added Wright. “Sometimes at the basic level we don’t know enough of the game, we don’t understand the dimensions of the game. So we don’t really think enough and we don’t encourage independent thought on the field.”
Still, Wright believes the Reggae Boyz have enough firepower to register their fourth ever win against Panama.
“Based on the quality we have in the squad, we should be able to get a positive result at home,” he said, as he reflected on players recently drafted by Jamaica, including West Ham striker, Michail Antonio.
“Within that, there is the drawback that we don’t have enough chemistry. A number of these players are coming together for the first time, so understanding could be an issue. But I’m still leaning on the side for a win for Jamaica,” Wright expressed.
Thomas has a similar view.
“With the new lift, I’ve listened to Michail (Antonio), I like his energy and I think it’ll lift the team. I think we’re going to win the game,” said Thomas.
The former sweeper added: “Going forward this is one of the most talented pools we’ve had in years and the coach needs to capitalise on it.”