Revitalised Reggae Boyz to Host Friendlies Against Venezuela and Cuba
With the resurgent Reggae Boyz geared up for back-to-back home friendlies, Jamaica are aiming to extend their three-game run without conceding a goal.
And the more intimate setting of Montego Bay Sports Complex, where the Boyz will tackle Venezuela on Friday and Cuba on Monday, is where they pulled off a shock success in last year’s Caribbean Cup.
Prior to capturing the Caribbean Cup in November, completed with a well-fought final victory – albeit on a penalty shoot-out – over favourites Trinidad & Tobago, the pressure piled high on Jamaica’s head coach Winfried Schäfer.
But there is a now a new belief about the future of Jamaica on the international scene and the top teams, like Argentina and Uruguay, will face the Boyz in June’s Copa America.
Despite a long run of dreadful results and patchy performances since Schäfer took the helm in June 2013, and not forgetting the jittery displays in the Caribbean Cup until they reached the semi-final stage, the Boyz are back on course and ready to prove that they are suddenly a force to be reckoned with.
Schäfer said: “The players want more success after winning the Caribbean Cup and I want to field good teams. The aim is to build a new team for the World Cup qualifiers.”
Before he takes the Boyz to the Copa America tournament – where they come up against Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay – he will warm up with relatively easy opposition against Venezuela followed by Cuba three days later.
Venezuela, nicknamed La Vinotinto – which translates as The Burgundy, referring to their burgundy shirts – are one place higher than Jamaica at number 72 in the latest FIFA Rankings, although that won’t worry the Boyz.
Venezuela have played twice this year, beating Honduras at home (2-1) and away (3-2) in February to end their shocking six-game winless streak.
And Schäfer’s side will be confident of turning over both Venezuela and Cuba. The side known as the ‘Lions of the Caribbean’ had a torrid time in Montego Bay for last year’s Caribbean Cup with two draws, defeat to Haiti with their only success a tense 3-2 win over minnows Curacao that has left Cuba poised at number 110 in the latest FIFA Rankings.
Schäfer only survived calls to be sacked by bagging the ultimate prize in the Caribbean last November, and his main aim is to guide the Boyz to the 2018 World Cup Finals in Russia. Jamaica’s only visit to the World Cup Finals was France ’98, when the Boyz recruited a handful of English Premier League stars such as Deon Burton, Robbie Earle, Marcus Gayle and Frank Sinclair.
The Boyz seem keen to strengthen their squad ahead of June’s Copa America campaign in Chile with a trio of English Premier League players on the radar to join Jamaica. Crystal Palace’s Jason Puncheon, Liverpool’s Andre Wisdom and Tottenham Hotspurs’ Danny Rose are being sounded out for international duty.
But Schäfer is also eyeing up other English-based players, including Norwich City attacking pair Elliott Bennett and Lewis Grabban as well as Reading defender Michael Hector.
Jamaica have six English-based players in the squad. Reading winger Garath McCleary is recalled, having not featured for the Boyz since last March. He joins up with former Reading players Adrian Mariappa (Crystal Palace) and Jobi McAnuff (Leyton Orient). Leicester City’s Wes Morgan, Leeds United’s Rodolph Austin and Yeovil Town’s Joel Grant complete the English contingent.
The coach explained: “We now want to test the quality of these players in England and the Major League Soccer (MLS) in North America. I’m happy that we watched many matches and talked to these players overseas.”
From the MLS there are some exciting talents in the squad that includes Houston Dynamo’s pair of Giles Barnes, the former U19 England midfielder, and Jermaine Taylor. Portland Timbers’ Alvas Powell, New York Red Bulls’ duo Kemar Lawrence and Dane Richards, Vancouver Whitecaps’ hot-shot Darren Mattocks, Montreal Impact’s Romario Williams and FC Dallas’ Je-Vaughn Watson will also be vying for a starting berth.
JAMAICA SQUAD: Rodolph Austin (Leeds United, England), Giles Barnes (Houston Dynamo, USA), Daniel Gordon (Karlsruher SC, Germany), Joel Grant (Yeovil Town, England), Hughan Gray (Waterhouse FC, Jamaica), DuWayne Kerr (Sarpsborg 08, Norway), Kemar Lawrence (New York Red Bulls, USA), Adrian Mariappa (Crystal Palace, England), Darren Mattocks (Vancouver Whitecaps, Canada), Joel McAnuff (Leyton Orient, England), Garath McCleary (Reading, England), Wes Morgan (Leicester City, England), Romeo Parkes (D. Isidro Metapan, El Salvador), Alvas Powell (Portland Timbers, USA), Dane Richards (New York Red Bulls, USA), Jermaine Taylor (Houston Dynamo, USA), Ryan Thompson (Pittsburgh Riverhounds, USA), Je-Vaughn Watson (FC Dallas, USA), Dino Williams (Montego Bay United, Jamaica), Romario Williams (Montreal Impact, Canada)
By Neil-Monticelli Harley-Rüdd