Whitmore drops no-show Goodison from Gold Cup squad
PORTO FELIZ, Brazil — Veteran defender Ian ‘Pepe’ Goodison has been axed from the CONCACAF Gold Cup 23-man roster after he failed to make his flight from Jamaica to Brazil for the ongoing nine-day training camp.
The long-time international and club-playing teammate of head coach Theodore Whitmore should have arrived here at the Traffic Football Academy with the last batch of players — Rudolph Austin, Dwayne Miller, Dane Richards and Jason Morrison — yesterday morning, but did not make the flight from Jamaica on Thursday afternoon.
Up to press time no reason for his no-show had been put forward, but a disappointed Whitmore told the Observer that the training camp was a must for players who are out of season, and as such, he would definitely not be a part of the Gold Cup squad.
“I haven’t got the reason why ‘Pepe’ isn’t here, but to be honest, I’m very disappointed with his noshow,” bemoaned Whitmore yesterday.
“Pepe was destined to be here and it was mandatory for him to be here for this training camp, so regardless of him not being here, we have to move on. Pepe won’t join the team in LA for sure, as I have indicated to the Federation and the people of Jamaica, we are moving this programme in a new direction and I don’t think we will compromise the team and the Federation with the principle of the team, regardless of any player,” added the defiant coach, who a day earlier had made it clear that the 38-year-old player had something to offer to the current Reggae Boyz squad.
“Pepe is just one man and the football experience will be missed, but we just have to move on in the direction we want to go,” noted Whitmore, who also explained that he’s yet to speak to the player.
It is the second Gold Cup tournament in a row that Goodison is missing, having also failed to turn up for the last tournament two years ago. On this occasion he was confirmed to travel with the four players who arrived yesterday.
And team administrator and chairman of the JFF Technical and Development Committee, Howard McIntosh, was equally disappointed with the player’s absence, and like Whitmore, he believes the show must go on.
“I think all of us are very deeply disappointed now that Ian isn’t here,” he said prior to yesterday’s practice game against prominent Brazilian club Palmeiras FC.
“The fact of the matter is that the coaching staff had developed a squad that would have provided a good blend of experience and youth and also championship attitude and we were looking forward to Ian joining the squad. The coach and his coaching staff have been very consistent in the new way of doing things within the context of the new way in which the Federation is trying to do things, and that is along a much more professional way.
“Specifically to Ian, it was made clear to him up front that players out of season it would have been mandatory for them to attend this camp and given that he did not come in with the last batch of players then it really would not have made sense for him to come, seeing that we are already three days into camp and the recovery time necessary just wouldn’t allow it, and therefore upon hearing the news that he would not be making it with the last batch of players, the coach decided that it would not make any sense for him to come to Brazil again,” said McIntosh.
Meanwhile, the arrival of the four players yesterday morning brought the total number up to 16, which will complete the remainder of the training camp which includes another practice game away to Santos next Monday afternoon.
The group will then depart for Los Angeles on Wednesday evening, where they will be joined by the remaining six players of the Major League Soccer to bring the Gold Cup roster to 22. Having made its final submission to CONCACAF on May 20, players can only be replaced due to injuries.