Mexico City, Mexico – Guyana’s Golden Jaguars and CONCACAF powerhouses Mexico ranked 99th and 19th in the FIFA world rankings lock horns in a group B encounter on the opening day of the third round 2014 World Cup qualifiers at the world famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, from 7:00 pm (8:00pm Guyana time).
Although five other matches will also be kicking off almost simultaneously around the North, Central American and Caribbean Zones in Group B, A and C – this game carries the most interest since it is set-up as your archetypical “David vs Goliath” match-up, due to the two nations football histories.
Mexico colloquially referred to as “El Tri” has qualified for 14 of the 19 FIFA World Cup competitions.
The Jaguars on the other hand do not have such significant football accomplishments on their curriculum vitae and only recently had its greatest national football moment when they toppled Caribbean football giants Trinidad and Tobago in the previous round – a night that Guyanese football enthusiast now term “11-11-11”.
Add this to fact that the Azteca is sound fortress for the Mexicans with them having not lost a competitive or friendly game on this hallowed venue since 2002 – which is most famous for hosting the game of century (Brazil vs Italy 1970 World Cup final) and Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God Goal” in 1986.
Campaign Preparation
Both sides have gone about their preparation for this semi-final round in drastically different manners.
With the altitude factor always very prominent when teams visit Mexico the Guyana team held a training camp in Columbia where they played two games along with friendly internationals in Panama and Jamaica over the past month and although they lost all of those games – the purpose of those matches was targeted towards today’s encounter instead of whether the team was triumphant or unsuccessful.
The Mexicans played three friendlies in America versus Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brazil winning all of those matches. Their 2-0 win over Brazil although it was an Under-23 Olympic side mainly, was greatly praised by coach Jose Torre at a press conference yesterday, in which he praised the performances of his Carré Magique (Magic Square) attacking strikers Javier Hernandez, Giovanni Dos Santos, Pablo Barrera and Andres Guadardo.
Shabazz and Nurse thoughts
National coach and captain Jamaal Shabazz and Chris Nurse spoke briefly before the team left for training yesterday and both although positive in their outlook, were suffering from no delusions of grandeur of the task that awaits the team.
“This is a big moment for Guyana and the toughest game we will ever face in our life and a opportunity we are ready to take. It’s a great learning experience and what a game for our lives and careers – may we live in interesting times,” said Shabazz.
Speaking about tactics and his feelings about how the team has adapted to the altitude during the camp SHabazz said: “We will be forced to defend for long periods, so this game will test our character and ability to be disciplined and constant. We have done the preparation that we can do and the commitment shown by players thus far has been first class and we look forward to giving our best for our country”.
Nurse, who is the only player in the Guyana team to play high level football in Mexico for his North American Soccer League side Carolina Railhawks during the CONCACAF Champions league, echoed much of what Shabazz said.
Speaking at the opening reception the Guyana team received on their arrival in Mexico, flocked by a crescendo of local reporters Nurse said:
“As Gaffer (Shabazz) said we are away from home in Mexico, altitude is going to have a massive say on the style we play, regardless if you are fit as a fiddle, based on my experience of playing in it – is very difficult to breathe. For some people it can take months, so hopefully the camp would have put the boys in good stead. It was an experience for all of us how those journalists flocked us when we arrived. We see it on TV, but to have it happen for us, made us all appreciate the top level international we are at right now,” Nurse reasoned.
Approximately 80,000 to 90,000 fans according to the Mexican Football Association are expected to flock the stadium that hold 105,000 at full capacity and both Nurse and SHabazz concluded by suggesting that playing in front of such a large and likely hostile home crowd could inspire the Jaguars to do something great on the night.
Players to watch
Shabazz acknowledged that the Guyana team is resigned to playing a defensice style and said how quickly Guyana on the counter attack can get the ball up to strikers Carl Cort and Gregory Richardson when they are in goal-scoring positions, may turn out to be a key for the visitors.
Guyana also have a massive height difference advantage over Mexico, so once they manage to breathe well on the night, set-pieces goal options may also prove invaluable for them.
With their short stature, low center of gravity and lightning quick turn of pace that can embarrass the best of defenders in world football – the Guyanese back-line that will be marshalled by Leon Cort, John Paul “JP” Rodrigues and Charles `Lilly’ Pollard will know they have to bring their A-game to the table to keep the Msxico strikers quiet over 90 minutes.
However El Trini isn’t all about attack, since captain and former Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez, brings experience and composure in leading the back-line.
Guyana Football Federation acting President Franklin Wilson, Aubrey “Shanghai” Major, Faizal Khan, Mark Phillips of the Georgetown Football Assocation and Dexter Austin of Western Tigers are some of the notable football personalities from Guyana expected to be at the game.
Guyana 22-man squad: Goalkeepers – Ronson Williams, Richard Reynolds, Colin Edwards, Defenders – Leon Cort, Charles Pollard, JP Rodrigues, Walter Moore, Howard Newton, Chris Bourne, Aubrey David, Midfielders – Chris Nurse, Kayode McKinnon, Konata Mannings, Kester Jacobs, Dwight Peters, Dwain Jacobs, Howard Newton, Strikers – Gregory Richardson, Anthony Abrams and Shawn Beveney.
Jamaal Shabazz – Head Coach, Wayne `Wiggy’ Dover – Assistant coach, Managers – Rawle Adams and Mark Xavier, Physiotherapists – Donna Marie Wickham, Debita Harripersaud, Andrew Hazel – Goalkeeper coach, Trevor Burnett – equipment manager.
Mexico squad: Goalkeepers – Jose Corona, Guillermo Ochoa, Alfredo Talavera, Defenders – Rafael Marquez, Francisco Rodrguez, Carlos Salcido, Hector Moreno, Severo Meza, Israel Jiminez, Hugo Ayala, Jorge Nino – Mid-Fielders – Jesus Molina, Edgar Andrade, Pablo Barrera, Angel Reyna, Jesus Zavala, Luis Perez, Andres Guadardo, Edgar Lugo – Strikers – Javier Hernandez, Giovanni Dos Santos, Aldo Di Nigris. Coach: Jose Manuel de la Torre.
