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Mexico test for young Reggae Boyz
June 06, 2024
THE Jerome Waite-coached under-20 Reggae Boyz will depart the island today for a two-match assignment in Mexico as part of their preparation phase ahead of the upcoming Concacaf Under-20 Championships.
The young Reggae Boyz will face Guatemala on June 8 and this will be followed by a June 10 assignment against host Mexico. Ahead of their two-match series, coach Waite shared that while preparations went according to plan, he's eager to see the execution phase.
"All players responded well to the preparation, so I'm looking forward to see what they're capable of doing at this level," he stated.
The 2024 Concacaf Championships will also be played in Mexico with the tournament set to kick off on July 19. The Reggae Boyz are drawn in Group A alongside Costa Rica, United States and Cuba. According to coach Waite, these two games should be a good test for the team playing against Concacaf giants Mexico and also playing at high altitude.
"It's good for these players to play in that atmosphere because the high altitude isn't easy to play in. Also, it is good for them to be playing against one of the best under-20 teams in the world in Mexico because they are always consistent in their performances at the under-20 level," he explained.
Waite added that based on the training sessions the players are in good stead to give a good account of themselves as majority of the squad are fresh out of various competitions.
"The players have responded in all aspects. Some have being playing at the schoolboy level while there are a few who have been playing in the Jamaica Premier League. They have been responding physically as well as technically and tactically," he added.
The veteran coach shared that the assignment will be used as a marker to see the level at which his team is at compared to that of their opponents. He added that he will be keeping a close watch on how long the players will be able to keep their concentration playing at high altitude.
"Results are not a factor. This is to see how the team members apply themselves at altitude. As a coach, you'll know where the team is at, at this time and with them going up against Mexico it will be a gauge for them going forward. Based on what you want your team to do, you'll be looking at the execution, how well they do it and for how long they concentrate for," Waite said.
