Guyana and host nation Bermuda will clash today in an international friendly at the National Sports Centre as both countries seek to peak at this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup where they will also be making their respective debuts.
At a pre-match press conference held at the Bermuda Football Federation Office, Guyana’s Head Coach Michael Johnson and Bermuda’s Coach, Kyle Lightbourne had said that a result is not the ultimate aim of the encounter, but that they are using the game to fine tune their sides for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup.
In their first and only session at the match venue on Wednesday, Johnson told GFF Media that the session went into a bit more detail in terms of how they want to play tonight pointing out that in the last couple of days’ training, the Technical Staff just allowed the players to play to allow bonding and team spirit to develop.
“Today (Wednesday) was a little bit more structured, so we spoke about how we’re going to play, what the expectations are from our midfield and our wide players. So we’re trying to as we go through the days, weeks put a little bit more detail, not too much that it confuses anybody, and it’s not going any way away from what we’ve been doing. It’s just gentle reminders obviously, of what we’ve been doing over the last few months.”
Given the fact that there are a few new players in the final 23-man squad, Johnson pointed out that they have to make sure that everyone is absolutely clear about what they are expected to do in and out of possession.
“Some would get it quicker but for some it might take a little bit longer and that’s why tomorrow (today) it’s a really good opportunity for us to see whose taken on board the messages and who might need a little bit more help because they are not quite sure.”
Whilst being tightlipped about who his starters will be, Johnson informed that the new players would have more information to take on board during the ensuing days and he is expecting a progression in their performances.
“As we get closer, they would be fitter, mentally more stronger because they have been in this environment and a lot more understanding would have gone into them based on the time that we’ve been given. So I would expect the next game to be a lot closer to where we want them to be in terms of going on to the USA game.”
Following the Bermuda match, the Guyana team will travel to Costa Rica where they will continue their camp and will play their second and final friendly against Haiti next week. This encounter, Johnson noted, would be a lot different in terms of approach.
Kick off time today is 21:00h.
