National U20 Fitness Coach Wilson Toledo supervises one of the fitness tests during the first week of training
CONCACAF MEN’S UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIP
- Provisional Squad Announced; Two Players From Indigenous Heritage Sports Included
29th September, Georgetown: The Head Coach of the National U20 Men’s team, Wayne Dover, has named a 26-man provisional squad as Guyana prepares for their first match of the Concacaf Men’s U20 Championship against Guatemala on November 2 at IMG Academy, Florida, USA.
The squad consists of Guyana-based players including four Goalkeepers, seven Defenders, 11 Midfielders and four Forwards. A Forward and a Defender were selected from the recently-concluded Indigenous Heritage Sports. (NATIONAL U20 MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP_PROVISIONAL SQUAD_final)
In an invited comment, Dover said training commenced last Sunday with physical evaluation of the players: “The week began with physical evaluation of the players to test the level of fitness of players. Our aim as a staff is to qualify and we made it clear to the players the level of discipline, dedication, commitment, and hard work that is required to achieve the objective. The teams in the group are very tough on paper but we all know that the matches are played on the field, and every team has a chance to win and qualify once they apply themselves.”
“During the Indigenous Heritage Sports, we did some scouting and identified two talent, which add strength to the U20 national programme,” said the Head Coach. Neston Brown and David Coates, both from the Rupununi FA, will join the team the new week. “Brown is a left full back, a position which has slowly become a dying breed in Guyana. He possesses qualities, which once harnessed properly, can see him become a senior national player who can perform as (Walter) Moore and (Chris) Bourne did with distinction. Coates, on the other hand, has demonstrated qualities as a Forward, which can match the talent we have seen in the past such as Gregory Richardson. We will nuture them to realize their potential.”
National u20 players engaged in one of the physical tests during the first week of training
Commenting on the physical evaluation of players conducted, the National U20 Coach Developer & Head of Sports Science, Wilson Toledo, said the group has done fairly well over the past week: “Prior to the technical and tactical training sessions, it is helpful for the coaches to have a determination of the players’ fitness level to enable them to tailor their session. The coaching staff is prepared to work very hard to bring the team to the level required for international football.”
Guyana’s match schedule in the first round is as follows: November 2 vs Guatemala, 10:30hrs; November 6 vs Cayman Islands, 10:30hrs; November 8 vs Curacao, 12:45hrs and November 10 vs El Salvador, 19:45hrs.
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