GOLD CUP: Golden Jaguars players buoyant ahead of T&T clash

Guyana’s Golden Jaguars held an extended training session on Monday afternoon at the Children’s Mercy Training Centre.

The team, following their 2-4 loss to Panama on Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio, arrived in Kansas City on Sunday afternoon and will oppose fellow Caribbean side and rivals, Trinidad and Tobago in their final Group D match on Wednesday afternoon from 17:30h (18:30h Guyana time) at the Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City.

Head Coach Michael Johnson, commenting on the training session, said it was an extended one given the fact that they had travelled from Cleveland on Sunday following Saturday’s match.

“After our last travel we had to try and taper the training down because a lot of the players were recovering. This time, players are in a lot better place with no reports of any stiffness, a lot of the lads had a really good night’s sleep which allowed us to do more. They’re in a buoyant mood and we are looking to do well in our final game.”

While it would be T&T’s 30^th match in Gold Cup history it would be Guyana’s third; they have lost both their games in this year’s tournament to date like the Jaguars, who are ahead of the Trinis in the group standings on goal difference.

Johnson disclosed that the Golden Jaguars would have to have an improved game with regard to passing the ball which he was not pleased with in the Panama match.

“Not only that, we have to be able to stop the silly mundane mistakes we keep making. When you look at the last game and the second goal, you look at the penalty whether it was a penalty or not, the two goals that could have been stamped out and then you’ve got a result, and then you take that result into your final game. So if we can cut out a lot of the silly mistakes then I believe that we can get good results.”

The next session, which would be the final one before the match on Wednesday, Johnson said would be used to iron out some of the past mistakes and simplify their game so that they are ready for Trinidad and Tobago.

Barring some of mistakes made by his charges in this their debut at the level, Johnson said that they have done well so far and will be positive in their approach come Wednesday.

“There are a lot of lessons to be learnt from this tournament, but what is great is that the players have actually had a taste of the big stage and they want more now. So we need to now make sure that this is not just a one-off, but that we’re here on a regular basis and obviously, all roads lead to the World Cup.”

For this match, Johnson said that the team would see changes. “Definitely, one and two faces will now come in and try get us that victory against Trinidad; it’s a fixture that we want to win and I have got full belief in all twenty-three players as I have said before. I want to give a chance to those who didn’t feature to now come out there and prove me wrong that they should have played in the first two.”