‘Not a team to be taken lightly’
Published:Monday | June 26, 2023 | 12:28 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
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On the back of three straight victories at the Men’s Lacrosse World Championships, national defender Tony Diallo said their form has illustrated Jamaica’s intentions in this tournament as a team that cannot be taken lightly. Jamaica followed up on...
On the back of three straight victories at the Men’s Lacrosse World Championships, national defender Tony Diallo said their form has illustrated Jamaica’s intentions in this tournament as a team that cannot be taken lightly.
Jamaica followed up on their opening 5-3 win over Germany on Thursday with a 10-5 win over Switzerland on Friday and a 6-4 triumph over Poland on Saturday, giving them an unbeaten start in the tournament in San Diego. Jamaica as of press time are among a select group of teams that have started the Championships with a 100 per cent record. The others are Ireland, United States, Japan and Puerto Rico.
After their opening victory, head coach Mark Wilson said that the key to continuing their run was to ensure that they keep the standard of play high as they did when they knocked off the sixth-best team in the world.
Diallo said that with their recent performances, they proved that they are a team that should be taken seriously.
“I think our start speaks to the level we want to play at. Jamaica isn’t a country to mess around with and this is a hard-working team. We have a lot more to prove and we are a very hungry group,” Diallo told World Lacrosse.com on Saturday.
Jamaica has scored 21 goals so far in their three games in pool play and conceded 12 in their three-match span so far, and Diallo said that their improved defence has been about trusting the personnel they have in goal as well as the game plan they have developed.
“A lot of it is trust. We have a great goalie in the cage and a great defensive coach too. Everyone has each other’s back and we’re able to work together seamlessly,” Diallo said.
What has also helped is being able to control the pace of games to outlast their opponents.
“We balance our fast pace and slow the ball down when we need to. Making sure we are set up with everyone in order and attacking the cage. We’re also switching up the lines well. All of us work great together so the more we can switch up matches the better for us.”
Undefeated
Jamaica will look to close out group play undefeated when they play New Zealand in their final pool game today.
Wilson said that the team is ready to embrace and thrive under the pressure that winning provides, in their quest to create history for Jamaica.
“Every time you win the expectations are greater too, and we want to live up to those expectations. We, as a group, embrace that pressure. We want to be recognised as one of the top teams in the world. And we are thankful to have the opportunity to be in a pressure situation where each win matters more,” Wilson said in an interview with The Gleaner on Saturday.