‘Local Boyz will get more chances’
Waite wants to see more after unimpressive 2-0 win over lowly Bermuda
DESPITE NOT producing the most convincing performance in a laboured 2-0 win over Bermuda on Wednesday, assistant coach Jerome Waite says the local-based Reggae Boyz contingent will get other opportunities to be assessed and developed at the international level.
The win over Bermuda, i n their International Friendly at the Montego Bay Sports Complex, served as a warm-up for the Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers and the Nations League, which are scheduled to take place later this year.
Jourdain Fletcher (42nd) and Kemar Beckford (79th) got the goals as Jamaica secured a scrappy win over the world 168-ranked Bermudans.
“The door is not closed on any local-based player. We have more games to play and a lot of time to look at them,” said Waite, who believes they need more time to assess these players. “We have one and two players that stood out, but, at the same time, it’s some of these players’ first time playing at the national level.”
“We still have to give them more opportunities to see what they can do. Also, because the Bermuda team is well over a hundred in terms of rankings, so seeing them against better teams in the near future will prove what they are made of,”Waite added. When asked if there was any feeling of disappointment in not getting a bigger margin of victory, Waite admitted that there is certainly room for improvement. “No, you wouldn’t be disappointed, because the game is about goals and results, so getting a 2-0 win with a youthful all (Red Stripe) Premier League team speaks volumes for them. One just has to continue to work with what they are made of and see how much we can improve them,”said Waite, who also singled out Fletcher. “He is a talent that came out of Cornwall (College) and it’s good to see him play the way he did. Physically, he still needs a lot of work, as his fitness level is still suspect, but, in terms of his technical abilities, he showed what he can do,” Waite added.