Injury forces two key players out of Under-23 squad
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
November 13, 2003
TWO key players will not be in the National Under-23 team that departs for Costa Rica for the first leg of the Olympic football second round matches against the homesters.
Technical director Neider Dos Santos yesterday announced the names of the players after the last training session at the Turkeyen Campus ground.
Power midfielder Jonathan Peters and striker Elton Browne were ruled out because of injury.
Left fullback Anthony Harding and central midfielder Jermaine Willis, who were in the 18 against Trinidad & Tobago, were retained, while striker Dwight Peters who was rested for the warm-up series returned.
The full team comprises: goalkeepers Fidel Smith and Andrew Durant; defenders Kester Alleyne, Anthony Harding, Travis Waterton, Sherwin Cadogan, Orlando Gilgeous, Walter Moore and Kelvin McKenzie; midfielders Dirk Archer, Shawn Beveney (captain), Travis Grant, Emerick Williams, Jerome Richardson and Jermaine Willis; strikers Devon Millington, Gregory Richardson and Dwight Peters.
Dos Santos disclosed that Jonathan Peters had a prolonged groin injury and was off full training session. He began training a full session for the week but could not make it in the final full session. We could not risk carrying him. We had to take him off after about five minutes of play.
“The pace of the match will be much higher than any that we’ve played before,” Dos Santos said.
The technical director said Brown was nursing an ankle injury and he was very brave in going out to train, but he was not up to peak performance.
“It was decided to go with a full team, not half players,” Dos Santos declared.
Dos Santos said he expected a tough match, having seen the tape of Costa Rica playing Trinidad & Tobago, in which they came back from two down to win 4-3.
“Costa Rica played in the last World Cup, so we are prepared for a tough match and to bring the decision to Guyana. It is a professional team with very experienced and skilful players. Their ability level is very high, so we cannot mark them because our players could be dribbled quite easily. We have to contain them,” Dos Santos said.
The technical director pointed out that the Costa Ricans make mistakes playing in a different situation.
“We have to look for those mistakes and capitalise on them. The pressure is on them. They have to confirm their status as a powerhouse in CONCACAF,” Dos Santos said.
Asked what result he was looking for, Dos Santos said: “Of course any team would want to win, but a draw would be a wonderful result.”
Other officials in the touring party are: Guyana Football Federation representative Roy McArthur, assistant coach Andrew Grogan, goalkeeper/coach Mark La Rose, trainer Robin Phillips and physiotherapist Paula Alexander.
The touring party departs the GFF Bel Air Park secretariat at 12:20 hrs for the airport.