Coach Cecoy Robinson insists under-20s can beat Jamaica
Bermuda coach Cecoy Robinson is adamant his team can still clinch top spot in group F of the Concacaf Under-20 Championships by beating Jamaica in St Kitts & Nevis tonight.
The Gombey Warriors are in second place heading into the final round of group matched and trail the Reggae Boyz by three points and must win their remaining match by at least two goals and hope that third-place Martinique do not beat winless Grenada by a wider margin than Bermuda beat Jamaica.
“It’s a big task but it’s not over,” Robinson told The Royal Gazette.
“Truthfully, all of the games are a big task at the under-20 level. This is what you are up against and have to deal with. We knew what we had to do before we got here, so the job hasn't changed and we still have to go and get a result.”
Robinson made four changes to his starting XI in the team that lost to 2-1 to Martinique on Monday after the sweltering heat in the region took its toll on his players.
“It's been really hot down here and so cramp and dehydration has been a big thing for us,” he said.
“A few players have played a lot of minutes so we will assess and see how it goes.”
Bermuda captain Harry Twite knows that the squad faces a tough task against the highest-ranked opponents in the group but insists they have the belief to be successful if they focus on their own game.
“We know they’re a strong team in the men's division,” he said. “I don't know too much about under-20s, but we can't treat it any differently.
“We have to treat it like the next step in our group and have to stay fully focused. We can't be worried about them and we're focused on what we need to do.”
While pleased to be in pole position for the sole qualifying spot on offer at the tournament, Jamaica coach John Wall says his team still has work to do and he will ensure there will be no complacency against Bermuda.
“The job is not done and we don't have the time to spend thinking that we're top of the group,” he said.
“We still have things to accomplish and I think Bermuda is a worthy opponent.
'"They have actually a more bigger part of the game and bigger representation in the game overall, whereas past opponents have been playing more off transition, set pieces and making it a very direct game.
"I think Bermuda are trying to accomplish more things playing with all three lines at the same time, so on our end it's going to be another game that we have to prove our worthiness.“
The Gombey Warriors made the perfect start to their campaign courtesy of a 2-1 win over Grenada in their opening match of the tournament but suffered a setback after losing to Martinique two days later.
Twite cited a lack of patience when in possession as a key factor for their defeat and is confident the team has what it takes to rectify their mistake.
“The game is always going to open up to us in the latter stages when people get fatigued, but we just need to have more patience on the ball,” he said.
“A lot of times we were trying to put it into areas where they had a good defensive structure and it did not suit our game, so we just need to have more patience in the build up, that's what I think the main struggle was.”