A 37th minute strike from Donte Brangman helped Bermuda down Guyana in their International Friendly last Thursday at the Bermuda National Sports Centre in Devonshire Parish. Michael Johnson, Golden Jaguars head coach said his objectives were met.

The game between the two countries, the third since October of 2011, was used as preparation for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, given the fact that Guyana and Bermuda will be debutants at the confederation’s showpiece.

“I thought in the second half there was only one team, first half we didn’t really come out firing but I expected that. There are nerves, people want to prove their position they’ve got on the team, but we settled down in the second half and we played some good football,” Johnson said, according to a release from the GFF.

“As I’ve always said it’s not about the results for me, Johnson continued. “I’ve seen a lot of things that I want from the second half now being played in our next friendly; so I can see progression from the first half where they were edgy and nervy towards a more confident, more composed team, second half. So we’re heading in the right direction,” he added.

The match, which saw a total of six substitutions being made, brought with it some encouraging individual performances, Johnson disclosed, noting “there were some good individual performances which excite me when I can see the jigsaws in my mind coming together.”

Following the first half, Johnson revealed that the half-time dressing room talk was centred on him telling his charges that they need to play, believe and be confident in themselves.
“We’ve got to keep hold of the ball and we’ve got to have more pressure on their back line, which I thought we did in the second half and we asked questions. There were a couple of opportunities that could have gone left or right and it’s a goal; This is a good team and they need to now believe in themselves as a team which I thought was more evident in the second half.”

Johnson, quizzed on if he would be able to get that message across to his charges for the next friendly against Haiti next week, expressed confidence in so doing.

“As I said to you always, the friendlies for me is about finding out things, tonight (Thursday) I found out so much that would one, enable me to coach and position our coaching methodology a different way, individually, and also as a team. But now I am starting to see personnel that actually coming to the forefront of it so I’m excited for it.”

The team now head to Costa Rica where they will face Haiti on June 11, and will then wing out to their base in Minneapolis in preparation for the clash against the USA on June 18.