Guyana defeated Bermuda 2-1 in CONCACAF Nations League B action. It was quite a chippy game with quite a lot of fouls. Bermuda, who won the fair play award in the previous edition of CCN finished the match with 10 men. Guyana played in a loose 4-2-3-1 with the players changing positions quite a lot. Bermuda countered this with a 4-2-2-2 built around English Championship mainstay Nahki Wells. Overall the game was pretty even, though Guyana edged it in large part due to better goalkeeping. Overall I would say the quality of play was slightly higher than that of the Caribbean Club Championship which we covered here a few weeks ago.
Ratings:
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be a strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Omari Glasgow
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Guyanese
- Age: 18
- Date of Birth: 22/11/2003
- Current Club: Chicago Fire II
- Career: Buxton United, Fruta Conquerors
- Position: Winger
- Preferred Foot: Right
Omari Glasgow played most of the match on the right side of a 4-2-3-1. He scored a goal and was probably Guyana’s most dangerous player throughout the match. Glasgow’s overall game was a bit inconsistent but he was undeniably very effective.
If we start by looking at his passing, Glasgow showed some fantastic moments and some that were less fantastic. He was very good at playing 1-2 passes with his teammates. He was great at breaking into the box by just bouncing it off a teammate and then making a run into the penalty area. He also played some nice through balls into the box or space for teammates. But there were also some slightly strange attempts to pass through a huge crowd of opposing players and his delivery on crosses was not the best.
He showed some great dribbling, at times, particularly using ball rolls to great effect. But there were also times when he dribbled right into an opposing defender. I noticed he usually did well when he was isolated against an opposing defender but if he was trying to get through a crowd or out of a tight spot he usually had some trouble. He was also a bit reluctant to use his left foot which held him back a bit. Glasgow showed a lot of pace, both when dribbling with the ball and chasing it down. This also helped him to get back and defend, which he did quite a lot. He’s not exactly an amazing 1v1 defender but he puts in a lot of work defensively and for an 18-year-old winger I think that’s probably fine for now.
Probably Glasgow’s greatest weakness is his first touch. It’s not the worst I have ever seen but the ball does bounce off of him quite a bit. If you watch back his goal from this match you can see that he almost lost the chance with his poor first touch. But fortunately, he was able to recover and smash the ball right between the goalkeeper’s legs. Glasgow’s ball-striking was quite strong in general. He hit the ball with quite a lot of power and with smooth technique.
His greatest strength was probably his off-the-ball movement. He was very good at getting free in the box and it allowed him to get several dangerous chances away. He did not just blast the ball as soon as he got anywhere near the goal, a problem I have noticed a lot of young Caribbean attacking players have. Instead, Glasgow was always looking to work for a better shot when he got into the final 3rd.
Rating: A2
Glasgow’s game is still a little bit rough around the edges. But despite that, he is still clearly a step above other players on the fringes of the professional game (and also Nahki Wells). He recently made the move to Chicago Fire II in MLS Next Pro. Before that, he was playing in the Guyanese domestic league. I can’t imagine the professionalism of the Guyanese league is all that high so it’s pretty impressive that he is this good. Now that he is being exposed to a higher standard of coaching and playing against a higher standard of opposition, I think we may see Glasgow develop into an MLS level player in the next year or two.