Action from Jamaica's first game against the U.S. this year, which ended in a frustrating 1-1 draw for the hosts at the National Stadium.
Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
LIKE A boxer well skilled at his craft, the Reggae Boyz' head coach, Sebastiao Lazaroni, is rolling with the punches.
The Brazilian has been forced against the ropes after a series of disappointing results from the Jamaican team in CONCACAF group World Cup qualifiers.
The latest punch came from a highly unexpected 0-0 draw against El Salvador at the National Stadium last week Wednesday. It made the second point for the Boyz in three Cup qualifiers at home, and six overall, which places the team second ahead of Panama (five) and El Salvador (four) respectively in the four-nation semi-final group series.
Only two teams advance to the final round and with the front-running United States (11) already through, the battle to survive the count is truly on with not much separating the others.
Much of the pressure facing the Jamaicans was piled on after the home draw against El Salvador, whom the Boyz looked set to floor following a 3-0 win in the Salvadoreans' backyard.
"After El Salvador we don't feel good. But we are finished with El Salvador. We think big, we plan big and look forward to the United States game on the 17th of November," said Lazaroni.
He added: "Before the game we were third because Panama scored one victory and got one point. Now we're one point in front, we depend only on our team to win the match and get three points. To lose the match is not good for us," Lazaroni said.
NO PRESSURE
In an interview prior to the first El Salvador game, Lazaroni was asked if he felt pressure to deliver a win. He confidently stated "no." The team responded with the huge win.
The terms of his job dictate qualifying the team for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, which effectively means if the team's campaign ends before then, so does his job.
Asked if he feels pressure now, the vastly experienced professional who has coached countless big name club sides and Brazil gave a similar response.
He admits though that in the last game the Reggae Boyz, who were booed during and after the clash by their home crowd, faced tension.
"I felt during the match our team got some pressure. This I feel, maybe we're missing some control to win the match," added Lazaroni who does not speak English fluently.
"They tried, they fight ... but we must keep cool. We missed a lot of chance to score," recalls Lazaroni of the match.
Given the fact that they have won more points and not lost in away contests thus far, the Brazilian theorises the demands of the local fans may have affected the Boyz adversely.
Asked to explain further, Lazaroni, who took over the team from technical director Carl Brown at the start of the semi-final round, said: "Why we play better away? It's a short time to understand that well for me. It's new for me."
As if to enforce his point he added: "It's football," then listed several examples of big-name football countries which struggled at home only to register huge victories in away ties.
On a more philosophical note, he reasoned: "That is the past, we need to do better, let's go to try.
CONFIDENCE AND QUALITY
"It's a tough, tough game but we have condition, confidence and quality to do well there. We need a strong personality for that game. Let's go to the 17th of November to play there and try to get a victory."
Looking to two of his Brazilian counterparts and several other members of the Jamaica technical staff who are close, Lazaroni says in the interim "we continue to do our job, we continue to work for the next phase. We have chance, we have quality, we'll do what we have got to do.
"We study the United States team, we're working on the best formation for that game, the best line-up."
Already, the options are limited. Central defender Claude Davis is out after picking up a yellow card against El Salvador.
Micah Hyde returns though and Lazaroni believes the midfielder will make a difference.
"Micah Hyde is a midfield player with quality to play and to mark, to play and not allow the opponent to play ... and he arrives to score," he added.
Asked about Jermaine Johnson, a sparingly used midfielder with skill who dribbles at high pace, Lazaroni said: "He must think more, use his ability to create for the team. Sometimes he keeps the
ball too much and loses the ball. But he's a good player. Every game he goes in, it's difficult not to play him."
The Brazilian says they also need to ensure an important adjustment for the clash against a US team they have never beaten in 14 tries.
"We need more attack every time we've the ball. With the ball you must have good rotation and good passing to create the occasion to score," he said.
"Without the ball everybody has a responsibility to close down the ball, the opponent, so that they can't play. It starts with the strikers. If we do that we've a good chance to close out the game."
