‘Tappa’ in business mode ahead of friendly
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Despite coaching the national team for the first time in his home town, Reggae Boyz coach Theodore Whitmore says tomorrow night’s friendly international against Venezuela at the Montego Bay Sports Complex is just business.
After putting the Boyz through their paces in a third training session at Jarrett Park yesterday, Whitmore told the Observer, “We treat every game as the same. Every game is business and so this is no different.”
The former national midfielder said preparations were “going good so far and so we’re looking forward to a good game come Friday night”.
The Venezuela side arrived in the island yesterday and are due to train at the game venue later today.
With all the invited players already in camp and no major injury worries to report, Whitmore said the coaching staff had an idea of the starting team but would not divulge that information at this point in time.
The nucleus of the team is the same that won the Digicel Caribbean Cup last year, and Whitmore said they would name a team with the away game against El Salvador on Sunday in mind.
“It will not be hard to select a starting 11 but we have some players like Khari Stevenson and Damion Williams who have not been in the national set-up for a while and we want to give them a look,” he said.
He said they would be starting their best team at all times, but some players who will not travel to Central America could get a run out tomorrow.
There will not be any special preparations for Venezuela, he said, as the emphasis was more on the Reggae Boyz and what they can do.
“It does not matter who we play — Antigua, Argentina or Brazil — we treat every game as the same; we have our objectives and will try to meet them,” he added.
Playing in a smaller stadium, the 8,000-seater Montego Bay venue was also a part of the overall team plan, Whitmore said.
“This is some thing we want to build, a concept to play in any situation, whether the larger venues like Mexico or the smaller venues; in front of large crowds or even half empty arenas,” he said.
