Travel hiccup could hurt
Jamaica’s U17s face Cuba with less-than-ideal preparation
Published:Sunday | February 12, 2023 | 1:17 AMDaniel Wheeler - Staff Reporter
WITH THE under-17 national football team finally together after Thursday’s travel mishap, they are hoping that their limited acclimatisation will be enough to start their Concacaf Under-17 Championship journey on the right foot.
The Young Reggae Boyz open their campaign against Cuba this afternoon at 5:00 at the Estadio Mateo Flores Stadium in Guatemala after less-than-ideal preparation in the Central American country because of travel issues.
Fourteen of the 20-man squad, who were scheduled to leave Jamaica from Montego Bay with the technical staff on Thursday, missed their flight due to documentation issues. Their letters of exemption, which were necessary because of the absence of US visas, did not arrive in time for them to make their flight.
Six members of the team as well as the staff arrived Friday morning while the rest of the squad arrived late Friday night after leaving from Kingston in the afternoon. The delay means that the full squad would have had a session less to prepare for the game.
In the lead-up to their two-game series against Trinidad and Tobago to wrap up their domestic preparations, coach Merron Gordon expected a difficult battle with the Cubans, given their recent record.
“We have the utmost respect for the Cubans. Over the years at every level, it has always been a tight game. So we are going to look at the boys (against Trinidad) and see who can solidify their position in the starting 11 and hopefully, we can take it from there,” Gordon said on February 3.
EVEN RECORD
Jamaica’s record against Cuba at the Under-17 level is even with two wins, two defeats and one draw. This time around, they will have to contend with striker Jade Nicholas Quinones Sanchez who was a standout at the under-13 level.
In an interview with The Gleaner on Thursday, Gordon said that while sourcing video material on their opponents has been difficult to come by, they were working with what they have with additional work to be done in Guatemala. However, he says that more can be learnt from the opposing coaches’ philosophy in their preparations.
“We have information that is well needed and can help us. We are also going to be doing some of our scouting in Guatemala because some games will not be played at the same venue or time so we can do some scouting,” Gordon said.
“Sometimes we have to judge the coaches and see the type of coach we are going to play against and what kind of football they like and what kind of formation that coach likes.”
Jamaica is seeking their first appearance at the Under-17 World Cup since 2011 with semi-finalists guaranteed a berth.