DaCosta Cup teams ready | Sports | Jamaica Star

Several coaches in the ISSA WATA daCosta Cup rural football competition have said they are pleased with the postponement of the opening round quarterfinal matches, as it allows them more time to prepare.

A tropical storm forced organisers of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) to postpone the matches in both the daCosta and urban Manning Cup.

The quarterfinal round of both competitions was set to begin today with two matches in Group A of the rural daCosta Cup - St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) vs McGrath High at STETHS, and Glenmuir High vs Frome Technical at Glenmuir High.

These matches have been rescheduled for Wednesday, with the other daCosta Cup first round quarterfinals - Munro College vs Ocho Rios at Munro College, and Central High vs Garvey Maceo at Wembley Excellence Centre.

Cleighton Stephens, head coach of Frome Technical, said the postponement gives the team more time to recover.

"I am a just grateful for the postponement. We had planned for today but the postponement gives us more time to prepare and to recover," Stephens said.

"It is not affecting our team at all, especially after a tough round of 16. The guys need a break and to see we are getting an extra day we cannot complain," Stephens told STAR Sports.

Omar 'Rambo' Wedderburn, coach of STETHS, said his team will make adjustments for the postponement.

"Anything that is happening naturally, we cannot do anything about it. We have a way to flick our mindset right there and then. We are just waiting until the weather gives us the go ahead and get this ball running," Wedderburn remarked.

"It won't negatively impact us, to be honest. We, like everyone else, are just waiting and preparing," added Wedderburn.

The Meteorological Service of Jamaica forecast the weather system affecting the island would strengthen to a tropical depression on Monday, which means tropical storm conditions are expected to affect Jamaica within 24 hours.

The Met Service says a turn to the northwest is expected to continue in this direction over the next few days. While the potential tropical cyclone is in the vicinity of Jamaica, it is expected to produce heavy rainfall and strong, gusty winds, primarily over eastern and southern parishes on Monday and Tuesday. Landslides should also be anticipated in vulnerable sections of the island.

According to the coaches, the possibility exists that when the competitions resume wet playing fields can positively and negatively impact players.

"It's not like we are not used to the wet surface because most of our first-round games were on wet surfaces," Stephens said.

"Most of our training sessions were on a wet field because Frome; it come 'een' like is down there the rain was born, it is always raining down there in Westmoreland. It might not be 100 per cent but we'll make the necessary adjustments for preparations. We are accustomed to it," Stephens explained.

Wedderburn says wet playing conditions will not be a problem either.

"Honestly, we have some boys who are willing to play in any condition. It could be on fire and out in the sea, we are ready to play. We just need the go ahead right now. The wet field won't impact us," he said.

[email protected]

View the discussion thread.