Teams ready for Nations League showdown today
Simba FrenchSend an emailJune 3, 2022 161 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
The Bahamas and St. Vincent and the Grenadines senior men’s national teams held their final practice yesterday afternoon and are set to get their 2022 CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Nations League campaign underway today at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
The game is set to begin at 5 p.m. and can set the tone for both teams, which will look to get to League A. Both teams were on hand for a press conference that was held before their respective practice sessions.
Bahamas Head Coach, Nesly Jean said he is focused on his side.
“It’s good as a coach to analyze and look at videos and see what other teams are doing, but the most important thing is focusing on ourselves and trying to achieve what we want to and, on the reason why we’re there. Yes, you need to look at videos, but I’m not too worried. I want to try focus on my team and trying to make sure they get the job done. So, that’s what I’m here for,” Jean said.
Likewise, for the St. Vincent Head Coach, Bishon Williams, he is also focused on his team.
“Our focus will be on how we play,” Williams said. “Whatever little studies we could have done to educate ourselves about The Bahamas, we’ll keep that in mind, but our main focus is make sure we execute our plan.”
The Bahamas was promoted from League C to League B of the CONCACAF region after winning its group in the 2019 edition of the competition. They are in a tough group with St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Nicaragua. St. Vincent and the Grenadines remained in League B.
This will be the first time that the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium will see local fans come out to support their ‘Junkanoo Boys’ since the 2019 Nations League competition. For Logan Russell, he is looking forward to the fans.
“I think it feels great to play at home. I haven’t played at home in a while. To have the fans too is going to be awesome so talk about home support, I think we’re all looking forward to it,” Russell said.
Playing away does not put any pressure on the ‘Vincy Heat’ side according to captain, Cornelius Stewart.
“I think for me, over the years we are better on the road than at home and I think we are ready for any challenge and that’s a good mentality that we have as ‘Vincy Heat’ and we are just focused on one game at assignment tomorrow. It is the beginning of the tournament, so we want to start strong,” Stewart said.
The Bahamian captain, Lesly St. Fleur has been a staple on the senior national team especially with his scoring prowess. Now, as the captain, he is tasked with helping to manage a young squad.
“We wanted some young players to cover for the other players that left. The young players came in and brought the same energy we had and possibly even more energy to the team. We are building and it is a new team,” St. Fleur said.
Tickets are on sale at the box office for the match at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. The single game tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for youth. There is a special package for today’s game and the Nicaragua game set for Friday, June 10, which is $30 for adults and $15 for youth.