Young Reggae Boyz rebound from T&T loss
Published:Monday | May 6, 2024 | 12:08 AM
Jamaica’s under-17 Reggae Boyz recovered from a first-leg loss and going a goal down in the second to even a two-game series against their Trinidad and Tobago counterparts at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence yesterday.
The Reggae Boyz, facing a 0-1 deficit in the first leg, ended the tie winning 2-1 through goals from Glenmuir High School’s Orel Miller, in the 38th minute, and Mount Pleasant Academy’s Jahmari Nolan, in the 61st. Earlier, Trinidad and Tobago had put Jamaica even further behind in the race to even the tie through Salim Soanes’ 15th-minute effort.
According to the young Reggae Boyz assistant coach, Carlton Simmons, the reaction to the 0-1 loss, as well as to going down in the first 15 minutes, was testament to the character of what is a newly formed team.
“I think the boys responded very well from the first game, recognising that it’s important to not only perform, but to get a result, and we are proud of their efforts,” said Simmonds.
Simmonds also thought the game brought tactical problems for the players to solve that he and his team were only too happy to stand aside and watch play out.
“From a tactical standpoint, Trinidad have, obviously, been together longer than our team has, and they changed shape during the game and transitioned, using three, four at the back and bringing five into the midfield, which gave our players a different challenge, which is good because we haven’t done anything like that, so this was a good experience,” the assistant coach explained.
The young Reggae Boyz, who are in World Cup qualification preparation mode, will have another camp in two weeks, where Simmonds says other players will be given an opportunity to show if they can fit the system the team seeks to employ.
Trinidad and Tobago coach Shawn Cooper, like his host counterparts, felt the experience was good for his players, with some getting an opportunity to feel what international football was like.
“It’s always beneficial playing against Jamaica. The rivalry. This game was played like a proper game. It wasn’t played like a training game or a friendly. It was played like a proper international game, and some of our guys saw what it takes to play at the international level, and it is all well for their development,” said Cooper.
Trinidad and Tobago, who are also looking at their preparation for Concacaf World Cup qualifiers, will now be looking at going overseas to pick players who they feel can fit into their squad.