Interim head coach of Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz, Rudolph Speid, said managing the minutes of players will be crucial as he heads into his first game against Grenada at the Kirani James Stadium tomorrow. Kick-off time is 4 p.m.
Speid has named a 24-man squad, including six United Soccer League (USL) and Major League Soccer (MLS) players, one from Europe and 16 locally based for the encounter.
However, he pointed out that the USL and MLS seasons have ended and players from those leagues are out of competition and will not be at full match fitness levels, while players from the local Jamaica Premier League (JPL) have been playing twice weekly over the last couple of months, and managing the minutes of the players over the 90 minutes will be ‘tricky’.
“We have two sets of players,” said Speid. “Some are in season and some are out of season. The training sessions are interesting because we have to take special consideration for the players who are playing in the JPL and some of the other players who have to get their fitness going.
“So it is tricky. We have to recognise what their physical capabilities will be during a game, and that is the trickiest part.
“Our greatest challenge is how we manage the minutes of the MLS and USL players. A player in the JPL has been playing twice in a few days and again managing their minutes will also be a bit tricky. That’s why we are taking 24 players, as the normal thing (number) is 23.”
Nevertheless, he believes they had a good two weeks of preparation and are prepared to give a good showing against the Grenadians tomorrow.
“We are doing well. We did technical and tactical work, and the understanding is coming.
“We had six days (of training). Some of the players did six, some did three. They were all good sessions. The players were enthusiastic and worked hard. So things were upbeat and positive.
“We have to work with what we have but I think we should be okay,” he added.
Jamaica Reggae Boyz are ranked at 70 by FIFA while Grenada are ranked at 164 by the world football governing body.
livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com
SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Amal Knight, Tafari Chambers, Daniel Russell
Defenders: Damion Lowe, Ronaldo Webster, Christopher Ainsworth, Kyle Ming, Stephen Young, Fitzroy Cummings, Jeovanni Laing, Nicole Brown
Midfielders: Jahshuan Anglin, Shamar Watson, Nickyle Ellis, Kevon Lambert, Dwight Merrick, Adrian Reid Jr
Forwards: Corey Burke, Warner Brown, Nichalia Fuller, Dwayne Atkinson, Deshane Beckford, Jourdain Fletcher, Daniel Green.
