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Boyz ‘upbeat, ready’ for friendlies
June 15, 2023
Jamaica's Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is optimistic that the Reggae Boyz will overcome the late announcement of the squad, along with the short time for the assembly of the players to perform well when they tackle Qatar and Jordan in two friendly internationals.
The Reggae Boyz will tackle Qatar this morning at 11:00 in the first match, followed by a clash with Jordan on June 19, which is set to kick off at 7 a.m.
Both, to take place at the Eiener Neustadt Ergo Arena in Austria, are being used to help sharpen the players for the Gold Cup, scheduled for the United States of America and Canada June 16-July 16.
Hallgrimsson is prepared to utilise his knowledge of Qatar to benefit the Reggae Boyz in their match today, having coached Al-Arabia in their domestic football league.
"We didn't have much time to prepare, so we're really focusing on one opponent at a time. I know what kind of opponents they are (Qatar), and they'll be enthusiastic and hard-working players facing us.
"I feel only positivity in our squad. It's an upbeat one. Of course, the main focus is to be ready when the Gold Cup starts, but all preparation matches are important," he stated.
Assistant coach John Wall added that both fixtures must not be taken lightly, as Qatar, looking to make a quick impact, appointed the experienced Carlos Queiroz as their head coach in February, while Jordan are better than they are credited.
"Their head coach (Queiroz) wants to impose all his styles early on. I think that change brings some interesting dynamics to the game, the hunger of the players within their squad. For Jordan, I think they're an underrated team flying under the radar," Wall explained.
Hallgrimmson stated that the coaching staff would use the top-tier facilities in Austria to prime the Boyz adequately for the Gold Cup.
"We will use this time really well, to prepare the guys here. We are thankful for the guys here. These are good facilities with good training pitches, so we will be using this as well as we can," Hallgrimsson said.
He is impressed with former Kingston College standout Dujuan Richards.
"You have physical strength, you have speed, along with a really good left and right foot. In that package, you have a highly confident 17-year-old who is a goalscorer. So, it's rare that you have all that in one package, and he's been good in the training sessions," Hallgrimsson stated.
