Conditions could give Jags advantage against Canada
BY AKEEM GREENE
The intense heat combined with the unaccustomed playing surface could play more out of favour of Canada’s Olympic Football team as they engage Guyana’s National Team, the Golden Jaguars tomorrow the National Stadium, Providence.
Canada based Golden Jaguars player, Daniel Whyte explained that the Jaguars have a major home field advantage against the North Americans.
“You have to adapt, it’s o
Daniel Whyte
bviously a bit hotter but I adapted since I came before but that will be a challenge for the Canadians and that could give us the advantage,” Whyte said in an interview with Guyana Times Sport on Friday.
Whyte, who plays for Sigma FC in League One in Ontario, revealed that the visiting Canadians are a talented bunch that plays professional soccer in Canada.
“They are a bunch of United Soccer League (USL) players, which is a division just under the Major League Soccer (MLS), so they are ready; they have been playing a lot of games, so it will be good competition and I can’t wait to play them,” Whyte said.
He further revealed that Head Coach, Jamaal Shabaaz has been using some of these insights into the style of play by the Canadians.
He said “Canadian football really developed, so they like to play the possession game or direct, but it all depends on the coach but (Jamaal) Shabaaz and I discussed some of the areas that I know of and also give him some information regarding the opposition.”
Whyte played for the Golden Jags last year with the Under-23 team against St Lucia in Grenada and also for the under-23s at Olympic qualifiers.
The centre-back said that his usual role was that of right-back, as only after producing some good performances in the central position, that the coach made it more of a permanent position for him.
“I play centre-back but I usually play right-back but last year when I played for the under-23s, Coach Shabaaz put me as Centre-back and he liked what I did, so now that is my more main role,” said Whyte.
The 21-year old is excited about playing for the National team, since his father is Guyanese and he has high expectations of the match as Guyana seeks a much celebrated win. ([email protected])
