Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi (left) controls the ball as Cavalier’s Jalmaro Calvin appears on throughout their Concacaf Champions Cup second-leg round-of-16 match on the Nationwide Stadium on Thursday.Pictures: Garfield Robinson
JAMAICA Soccer Federation (JFF) Common Secretary Dennis Chung says the presence on the island of one in all soccer’s best icons, Lionel Messi, has left a long-lasting affect on Jamaica’s soccer scene.
This follows Inter Miami’s 2-0 win over Cavalier within the Concacaf Champions Cup Spherical of 16 on the Nationwide Stadium on Thursday.
The match, which drew a crowd of over 35,000 spectators, is being hailed as the most important membership sport in Jamaica’s historical past. Louis Suarez and Messi have been the goalscorers for Inter Miami, who’ve now superior to the quarter-finals. Cavalier additionally misplaced the primary leg 2-0 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, every week earlier.
“We noticed the response from the gang and every little thing,” Chung mentioned. “The sport was aired on ESPN so the worldwide presence was good for Jamaica — and I’m positive that the minister of sports activities [Olivia Grange] was proud of it.
“The gang was huge. As a result of the final time we noticed that quantity of individuals on the Nationwide Stadium it will possibly be the ISSA Boys’ and Ladies’ Championships, so it was nice to see so many individuals turning up for a soccer sport in Jamaica.”
Chung says the momentum generated by the sport has additionally sparked optimism about the way forward for soccer in Jamaica and the broader Caribbean area. He says that earlier video games on the Nationwide Stadium had already been drawing giant audiences.
“The final sport that we [Reggae Boyz] had on the Nationwide Stadium we had over 21,000 folks, and so I believe that the assist will likely be there as a result of Jamaicans need to see good soccer,” he mentioned.
“The curiosity has been bettering, and with Avery Campbell [JFF’s marketing manager] there and Tanya Lee (a JFF ambassador), we’ve been having some excellent discussions with [sponsors], so I believe that sponsorship will enhance.”
Chung says that past attendance figures, the affect of Messi’s go to extends to increasing the game’s visibility and attracting new alternatives for funding.
“We’ve got been increasing the product when it comes to viewership — not simply in Jamaica however globally additionally — and increasing the footprints for the sponsors and so I believe that it’ll hold bettering,” he mentioned. “This may assist the entire thing about how folks view soccer in Jamaica as a result of it brings a sure presence.”
The Reggae Boyz are set to face St Vincent and the Grenadines in Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers. The primary leg will happen away at Arnos Vale Stadium on March 21, with the second leg set for March 25 at Sabina Park.
