Coach of the under-17 footballers Sampson Gilbert believes that his charges will have to improve their physical fitness and conditioning but said there was enough time to do so before the second round of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) World Cup qualifiers.
Gilbert said yesterday that the coaching staff was pleased with the young footballers’ understanding of the tactical and various technical aspects of the game in Dominica where they emerged top of the group.
He added that himself and the rest of the coaching staff will work with the team to improve on this aspect.
Media operatives were told that the focus on getting the team physically prepared before their departure for Dominica on July 19 was the foundation for the development of the other aspects of the players’ game.
He pointed out that in order for the team to be competitive in the next round where the competition will be much stronger, the focus on tactical awareness will be even more emphasised.
“It is also very important for us at this level to be competitive internationally in the modern game, to develop a tactical awareness with our players. And, having a good physical base, or what we will call an aerobic base in football, should give us a good opportunity to work on the tactical awareness of this team,” Gilbert explained.
He noted that the team was not “superior because it was bigger” in terms of the stature of the players, but because the Junior Jaguars understood the tactical awareness of the game.
This, he conceded, made the difference between Guyana’s team and the rest of the competition, which was “reasonably up to standard technically and tactically.”
In Guyana’s first CFU qualifying match they drew 2-2 with the Netherlands Antilles with Guyana’s Pernel Schultz scoring and the Netherlands Antilles scoring an own goal in the 47th minute.
Guyana returned to comprehensively school Domin-ica 5-0 and then whip Aruba, whose style of play was more physical than tactical, 7-0.
Back to drawing board
Technical Director at the GFF, Colin France, said that “since we are heading into a group with stronger teams, the management team will be going back to the drawing board.”
In the second Group, the qualifiers will be Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago, which are seeded higher than Guyana.
“We will be going back to the drawing board to come up with the competence in every department to ensure that the players have the physical conditioning required, continue to work hard on technique and tactical understanding and the (players) ability to make decisions,” France stressed.
France said he also believed that many Caribbean players lack the ability to make decisions on the field. Therefore, there will be systematic focus on developing the two components together while at the same time trying not to burden the players.
Should the Guyanese qualify from this round, they will enter the CONCACAF round of the World Cup qualifiers. And France believes that Guyana will have to work harder in the second round.
GFF General Secretary Noel Adonis said yesterday that around $6.5 million had to be spent to prepare the team for the first group. Adonis said the GFF will be expending around the same amount for the upcoming round.
