Jamaica's soccer players celebrate after scoring against El Salvador during their 2006 World Cup qualifier soccer match at Cuscatlan Stadium in San Salvador on Wednesday. Jamaica beat El Salvador 3-0.
- Reuters
THE REGGAE Boyz' historic 3-0 victory against El Salvador at the Cuscatlan Stadium in San Salvador on Wednesday night has been met with a warm response from the island's top coaches.
Carlton 'Spanner' Dennis, coach of KSAFA Super League kingpins Santos, was elated by the victory, describing it as "an excellent game of football."
"If we can continue to be consistent like we were last night, there isn't any team in CONCACAF that can beat them," Dennis told The Gleaner yesterday.
"Unfortunately, some times we are hot and some times we are cold. Yesterday's performance however, was very professional. We did what we had to do and it was just unfortunate that we didn't get more goals," Dennis said.
Table-topping Premier League team Harbour View's coach Donovan Hayles and managing director Clyde Jureidini were 'ecstatic' about Jamaica's achievement.
ECSTATIC
"I am ecstatic that we won. One, because we needed to, and two, because we won so convincingly," said Jureidini.
"We executed well on both ends. We scored early and didn't concede. What was the most impressive thing about all this was that we did it in El Salvador. This means that the group has started over and Jamaica has just as good a chance as any team of making it through to the final round," he said.
"The team is going through a transitional phase right now and if they can get the synergy right among Brown, Lazaroni and the team then we should perform well," he said.
Hayles spoke extensively about changes that looked promising.
"This is the first time that I have ever seen a Jamaican team show so much discipline," Hayles said.
"Last night we showed that we could have won 1-0. This is the first time that I've seen a Jamaican team maintain posession so well after going ahead. It was a very mature game and it only augurs well for Jamaica's football," Hayles said.
PLAYING WELL
"This kind of performance from the team has been coming, they have been playing well but just haven't been gettiing the results," he said.
Veteran coach Jeffrey Maxwell was also pleased with the performance and picke out a number of players for special congratulations.
"It's the best game so far in these World Cup qualifiers. The team needs to be congratulated for their efforts. The question is can we do this consistently?" Maxwell said.
EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE
"Except for the overcarrying of the ball by Ralph and Johnson it was an excellent performance. It was also a fabulous performance by Theodore Whitmore who has finally been allowed to play his game.
"Congratulations must also go out to Damion Stewart who played a very mature game. It was also important to note that for the first time Carl Brown and Lazaroni seemed to be on the same page.
"There was a plan and it was executed unlike in the first two games where it was just a matter of playing," said Maxwell.