Fitness catches up with new-look Boyz

DESPITE JAMAICA’S inability to keep up fitness-wise against Morocco in their international friendly yesterday, national men’s senior football coach, Merron Gordon, hailed the effort from the locally based group, acknowledging that the experience is a necessary step in their evolution.

Jamaica lost their four-team tournament opener in Austria against the Atlas Lions, thanks to goals from Ahmad Hamoudan in the 33rd minute and second-half strikes from Mohamed Nahiri in the 74th minute, and second-half substitute Reda Slim in the 80th minute.

Gordon, who has coaching duties for the tournament in the absence of interim head coach Paul Hall, said that while pleased with the initial effort in their cohesiveness in the first half, the lack of match fitness among the players played a role in the latter stages of the game.

“Hats off to the Moroccan team. You could see the cohesion between them and they played well,” the Jamaica coach opined.

“Our team, I think the tactical discipline, I think we had the compactness. They couldn’t play through our lines most of the time,” Gordon said. “But the longer the game went, the more you realise that the fitness would show. And the muscular strength would show also because they are very strong. I think we did well. I think with the limited kind of preparation, the group responded well.”

Gordon had raised fitness concerns before the game, with the players entering their respective preseason with their Jamaica Premier League clubs, where the majority of the 27-man squad was selected.

Jamaica could only manage two shots, with none able to find the target, as they found it difficult to create clear goalscoring opportunities.

A defensive error led to the opening goal as Hamid Ahadad forced a turnover and his low cross found Hamoudan, who tapped in from close range.

Gordon said that while they held up for the majority of the second half, their concentration dipped, leading to them conceding two goals in six minutes. However, he said that despite the result, it represented a good platform for those being introduced to the international level.

“Tactically, the boys tried, especially defensively, to be organised. I think what let us down is what we already knew. We gave up those two goals in the latter part of the game when the legs were going. And when you are tired, (the) concentration also goes. So I think that is what let us down in the end,” Gordon said.

“You learn by mistakes and you realise the pace of international football and understanding the thing. The sky is the limit for these Boyz,” he noted. “It is a good starting point for them and let us see what we can build from here.”

Jamaica will play Qatar in their final tournament game on Friday.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com

Jamaica: Amal Knight, Adrian Mariappa, Richard King, Ricardo Thomas (Kymani Campbell), Fabian McCarthy, Oquassa Chong (Trayvone Reid 54th minute), Jourdaine Fletcher (Colorado Murray 81st minute), Maliek Howell (Shamarie Dyer 55th minute), Venton Evans, Ramone Howell (Alwanye Harvey 76th minute), Demario Phillips (Nickoy Christian 81st minute)