Youth development is key: White

SINGAPORE — The build-up to Singapore’s friendly with Guam on Tuesday had been dominated by Lions coach Bernd Stange’s comments that the Republic struggles to attract top teams here because they are reluctant to play on the Jalan Besar Stadium’s artificial turf.

But a day after his 167th-ranked side in FIFA’s world rankings pulled off a surprise 2-2 draw against world No 153 Singapore, Guam head coach Gary White, who has transformed the United States-controlled island in the western Pacific into one of the fastest improving national teams, felt the public’s attention should be on the players instead.

“You got good fields compared to most Asian countries. You have a professional league,” White, 40, told TODAY at the Village Hotel yesterday. “So I think instead of focusing on the stadium, the focus should be on the team.”

“My concern (as a coach) would be to find places to train even if it is where we played (Jalan Besar Stadium), which is no different to what we have, and is better than most. “If you go to the Philippines, they are struggling for training centres and would love (to use) that stadium. I don’t know why the focus isn’t on the team.

“I am sure you have enough training fields, (and) the stadium is beautiful. What were you before you had it? (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki (Cup) champions before you had the (new National) stadium right? So why is it holding (you) back now?”

White is speaking from his experience with Guam, which has a population of about 160,000, and where “football” usually means American Football, not soccer.

The Englishman, whose claim to fame until then was succeeding former Chelsea coach Andre Villas-Boas as head coach of the British Virgin Islands, helped Guam to an all-time high of 160 in FIFA’s world rankings last year.

Recent results, including wins over Mongolia and Taiwan last year, and a narrow 1-0 loss to Hong Kong last month have seen Guam, which became a FIFA member in 1996, climb to 167th in FIFA’s world rankings.

When the Southampton-born White quit his role as technical director of Major League Soccer side Seattle Sounders to accept Guam Football Association president Richard Lai’s offer three years ago, his biggest hurdle was changing the players’ mindsets that manifested in a 21-0 thrashing by North Korea in 2005, and a 16-0 loss to Tajikistan the following year in their only World Cup qualifying campaign to date.

“Previous coaches would go into each game trying not to lose by big scores. I just didn’t see the point in playing,” he said. “We had to change the belief, mindset and play to win. We were surprised how quick the players developed when they had the confidence of the coach and country behind them.”

The Guam FA now has a youth development system in place where children of about 10 to 11 years old are schooled in a particular way of playing football.

“We have a certain way of playing, and our philosophy is instilled in our kids. It’s sort of like our DNA,” said White. “We keep it clear-cut. So when the kids move from project elite (youth development) to the national team, they have an idea of what to do on and off the ball.”

In a report by the Guardian, White clocked 260 hours travelling to-and-from Guam to undergo the English Football Association’s elite two-year coaching programme.

While the Guam FA’s sponsorship deals with Ford and United Airlines help fund the team, the island’s geographical remoteness means getting its national side together remain an arduous task.

White often spends hours on the telephone persuading the likes of former New England Revolution winger Ryan Guy and Los Angeles Galaxy defender A J DeLaGarza to turn up for Guam’s matches.

While Singapore boasts the S$1.33 billion Sports Hub, the modest Guam National Football Stadium in the capital Hagatna can accommodate 1,000 people, who have to sit on concrete steps as there are no seats.

But White said: “When it comes to the national team, we always get a very strong crowd. Thousands usually come out, more than what you had (1,864 fans) yesterday.”

GARY WHITE FACT BOX:

Born: July 25, 1974, Southampton

Playing career: Bognor Regis Town (1990-94), Fremantle City (1994-96)

Coaching career: British Virgin Islands (1998-99), Bahamas (1999-2008), Seattle Sounders (2009-2012).