With international exposure players will improve.

National Technical Director of the Cayman Island Football Program Carl Brown is appealing for more commitment to the national sports from the stakeholders and the football fraternity as he continues to develop the global sports on the island.

Brown, reflecting on the recent 4-1 loss by the Cayman Islands in a friendly game against Jamaica, said that the dream of applying the right preparation and winning the 2013 Digicel Championship should not only be his dream and the Cayman Islands Football Association’s (CIFA) dream but that of the entire football fraternity, parents and the corporate community.

“A 4-1 result against arguably the best football team in the Caribbean is a sign that the players can reach the level to play better football at the international level.”

“This result was a good one in terms of the efforts the players gave during the game. They demonstrated during their performance that they were overcoming the fear of playing strong teams; this is indeed a good sign.”

“One of the main things that has been emphasized over the past year and a half is the improvement of putting together passes. This has enabled them to keep possession of the ball over longer periods.”

“Three weeks in training is never an ideal time to prepare a team to face a strong opponent and the lack of good physical preparation will detour the players from playing to their full potential. This was the main reason why the players played in patches.”

“The team national football program needs financial backing as well. The benefit of playing against a team with the caliber of Jamaica outweights the cost of getting other teams of this quality to play here.”

Brown went on to say that the comments that came from most of the players after the game indicates and brought to attention things the Cayman Islands has to do to be better able to compete against strong teams.

“Most of the players commented on how physically strong the opponents were and this brings out the importance of a weight program for all the age group teams and the senior team in particular.”

“The group of players used this time around is an indicator of our goals for the future. The Olympic Qualifications in 2010, the Digicel Qualifications in 2011 and the possible hosting of Digicel finals in 2013 are some of the reasons for the selection of players used.”

“In 2013 we not only want to participate in the finals, we want to win the finals. This is easier said than done; however, with the right preparation that dream could become a reality as long as we start now. It should be the dream of not just the Technical Director, CIFA and the players but the entire football fraternity-parents supporters and corporate Cayman.”

“Our coaches in particular need to see themselves as an extension of the national Coaching staff, ensuring that they do everything possible to assist in the smooth process of the preparation of players who will represent the national teams.”

“Certainly, success of this magnitude will only be possible if a meaningful financial support is in place. This will enable the association to implement plans on paper to ensure that the players are comfortable and motivated enough to perform at their best.”

Brown concluded by pointing out that the exposure of players to the game internationally will have to improve as his aim was over the next three years to have one international game per month if possible. This he stressed would be to remove the fear they have for international games and make them more dominant on the field of play.

The Cayman Islands national team, after just over three weeks of intense training under Technical Director Carl Brown and Fitness trainer Thiago Cunha, lost 4-1 to Jamaica but were able to penetrate the Jamaican goal for the first time in a long time.

The Cayman Islands also broke the record the Jamaicans held of nine games without conceding a goal since Head Coach and former Reggae Boyz Theodore Whitmore took over the team.

The goal was scored by Rene Carter who rifled a free kick past goalkeeper Dwayne Kerr to end the first half 1-1 and sending a message to the Caribbean king pins.

Carter, a defensive midfielder, played well after securing special permission to attend training on a daily basis from his work place. He could have netted two goals in that game after getting a free kick earlier in the game and kicking the ball over the cross bar.

Certainly, it was the collective effort of the Cayman team with Captain Ian Lindo, who has matured into a more dedicated and serious midfielder, coupled with the remarkable efforts of O’Neil Taylor and Leighton Elliott and the overlapping Benjamin Cupid that held off the charging Jamaicans for the most part.

The game was well attended despite the short planning time and was organized as a training camp as well as a fundraiser for the Centre For Excellence the “New Home of CIFA”.