October 14 was supposed to be a day for fans of Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz to show their support for the side during their Concacaf Nations League game against Honduras at the National Stadium in Kingston.
After witnessing a tame 0-0 draw, fans were content but that feeling soon switched to anger when a number of fans noticed that their cars had been broken into during the game.
A number of videos showcasing the extensive damage circulated on social media over the next several days, prompting many people to question the security arrangements at the Stadium.
The Reggae Boyz are set to host defending Concacaf Nations League champions USA in the first leg of their quarter-final at the same venue on Saturday so the obvious question is: what is being done to prevent this from happening again?
General Secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation, Dennis Chung, has assured fans that measures are indeed being put in place to prevent a repeat of that unfortunate incident.
“Independence Park Limited (IPL), the JFF and the Police have met and they are designating some places where police will protect the vehicles,” Chung said on a zoom call on Monday.
“Our intelligence was that the disruption of the vehicles was a direct sabotage so we’re going to designate certain places and we’re going to tell the public where it is safe to park,” he added.
A potential defense for Chung would’ve been that the break-ins occurred in a lot near the Stadium and not on the actual compound, meaning that technically, the JFF or IPL wouldn’t be responsible.
He rejected this notion, highlighting the responsibility for fans safety when attending a JFF event such as a Reggae Boyz fixture.
“It wasn’t on the stadium compound but we will ensure that there are places outside of the stadium compound where police will be designated to protect because it’s our event and, even if you park on the road, we think it’s our responsibility still to ensure that people feel safe when they get there,” he said.
Chung went on to add that the JFF has also tried to ensure the smooth flow of traffic to and from the stadium before and after games through discussions with the head of traffic.
Bradley Jacks is a budding journalist and an avid sports fan. His love of research and sports has led him to SportsMax.tv, a place where those passions work hand in hand to allow him to produce content.
Burnley 1-1 Middlesbrough: Dijksteel strike denies hosts top spot
Middlesbrough denied Burnley a chance to go top of the Championship table by holding them to a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.
Scott Parker's side could have put pressure on Sheffield United with a win, but now find themselves one point behind the leaders, who face West Brom on Sunday.
The visitors broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when Daniel Barlaser released Anfernee Dijksteel, with the Middlesbrough right-back dinking cleverly over James Trafford.
But Burnley drew level before the interval when Connor Roberts' looped strike from distance caught Seny Dieng off his line.
Burnley's hopes of building on the equaliser after the break did not materialise as Boro created the better chances, with Tommy Conway and Delano Burgzorg denied by Trafford early in the second half.
Middlesbrough, meanwhile, sit in fifth place and are one point above Watford, who have a game in hand.
Data Debrief: Burnley defence finally breached
Burnley had kept a clean sheet in each of their last five Championship matches heading into this contest, but that run was brought to an end by Michael Carrick's side on Friday.
Parker's team attempted 15 shots in the game, which was five more than their opponents, but only managed an expected goals (xG) total of 0.67, while Boro managed an xG of 0.88.
However, the Clarets are still unbeaten in six league matches (W4 D2) and have the best defence in the league - conceding just seven goals in 19 matches. The result also meant that they are now unbeaten in their last six league meetings against Boro (W3 D3).
Inzaghi lauds Martinez display despite missed chances in Parma triumph
Simone Inzaghi showered praise on Inter captain Lautaro Martinez's display in their 3-1 win over Parma on Friday, despite the Argentine failing to find the back of the net.
Inter extended their unbeaten run to 13 matches in all competitions with their latest victory, with Federico Dimarco, Nicolo Barella and Marcus Thuram on target.
But it proved to be a frustrating night for Martinez, who saw a chance to score Inter's fourth from the penalty spot snatched from his grasp following a review by VAR.
The Argentine ended the contest having registered more shots (three) and the joint-most touches in the opposition box (five), while also accumulating a team-high expected goals (xG) tally of 0.77 to Inter's 2.31 total.
But Inzaghi lauded Martinez's overall display at the San Siro, which saw only Alessandro Bastoni (nine) compete in more duels than his captain (seven).
"He's hugely important. His recovery play at the end was a great signal," Inzaghi said.
"As a former striker, I understand the pressure of scoring, but he needs to stay calm and keep helping the team like that. The goals will come, they always do for him."
The only blemish on Inter's display was Matteo Darmian's late own-goal, with the former Manchester United defender turning into his own net nine minutes from time.
Only Juventus (eight), Napoli (nine), Fiorentina (10) and Empoli (14) have conceded more goals than Inter (15) in Serie A this term, leaving Inzaghi frustrated at the way his side let in a needless goal at full-time.
"I'm very satisfied with what the lads achieved. We showed aggression and focus against a team that has been playing really well. I’m very happy," Inzaghi said.
"The only downside was the goal we conceded. It wasn’t deserved. If I had to pick one thing to criticise, it would be that.
"But overall, I’m very happy with the team’s performance."
Up next for Inter is an away trip to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday, before returning to league action against Lazio six days later.
Their fixture against Leverkusen starts a run of five games in 18 days, and Inzaghi insisted that every member of his squad would be needed for the upcoming games.
"I’ve got 25 players, including goalkeepers, and I wouldn’t trade them for anyone from another team," he said.
"We've got a demanding schedule ahead, including the Supercoppa. It’ll be tougher for us, but we’ve known that from the start."
Atalanta 2-1 Milan: Lookman late show propels hosts to Serie A summit
Atalanta climbed to the top of the Serie A table after Ademola Lookman struck late to secure a 2-1 win against Milan at the Gewiss Stadium.
Only moments after being denied a winner by Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, Lookman arrived unmarked at the far post to nod in a corner in the 87th minute to seal a hard-fought win.
With 34 points from 15 matches, Tullio Gritti's side are now two points clear of second-placed Napoli, who will play Lazio at home on Sunday.
Charles De Ketelaere scored against his former club to put Atalanta ahead in the 12th minute, rising highest to head home Marten de Roon's free-kick.
But Milan struck back 10 minutes later when Rafael Leao's cross into the box was turned home by Alvaro Morata for his fourth league goal of the season.
The second half was an evenly contested affair, with both sides creating several chances before Lookman struck the decisive blow to leave Paulo Fonseca's side seventh in the table.
Data Debrief: Atalanta's dream run continues
The win against the Rossoneri was Atalanta's ninth consecutive victory in Serie A this season, matching the club record set between February and July 2020.
They have also now scored at least two goals in each of their last 12 home games in Serie A, becoming the first team to do so after Juventus between November 2006 and January 2008.
Only Barcelona (48) have scored more than Atalanta's 38 goals in the five major European Leagues this season.
Lookman's winner was his 11th Serie A goal of the season, and he has been involved in 18 goals in his last 18 league games, also bagging seven assists.
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