Jamaica coaches dare to dream
VERACRUZ, Panama — Coaches Wendell Downswell and his assistant Omar Edwards are dreaming a dream.
With qualification to a second straight Under-17 World Cup on the line, both men could hardly hold back the eagerness as the Jamaica Observer caught up with them.
Relaxing in his room at the Hotel Intercontinental Playa Bonita on the eve of the CONCACAF Championship match, Downswell, who charted successful World Cup campaigns to the 2001 Under-20 showpiece and to the previous Under-17 tournament in 2011, talked up the Young Boyz’s chances.
“Our dream is to get to the World Cup… we are on the verge of back-to-back achievements and we really want to do it as a team, and there is motivation to be a part of history. The aspiration is to do the country proud.
“We are really looking forward to it. It’s our aim and objective to fulfil this dream because it would be a significant achievement for our country and also for us as individuals — both the players and the coaches.
“Before the tournament we were preaching to the youngsters that we were 270 minutes away,” he said yesterday.
Respective 1-1 and 2-2 results against home team Panama and Caribbean rivals Barbados in the group stage allowed Jamaica to sneak into the quarter-finals.
“Well, now we are just 90 minutes away,” Downswell added.
Edwards, who was also Downswell’s junior partner on that remarkably memorable ride two years ago, was a picture of calm and confidence, while stating that the “dream can become a reality”.
“We are not in a new position… we were in a similar position about two years ago. We know it will not be an easy one, but we believe our players have enough in the tank to take it past that Canada team.
“The players and coaching staff are motivated for this one. We are excited about this game and our dream is to qualify. We (the coaching staff) believe that our dream can become a reality and the players share that sentiment,” Edwards said.
Downswell seemed to endorse the partnership between him and his assistant.
“As a coaching team we did it (qualified for the tournament) in Jamaica we would also like to have this. The dream is alive and well,” he said, smiling.
