Boyz at work! - Ja face Cuban challenge at 'The Office'

BY IAN BURNETT Sport Editor

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

JUNE 8, 2012 will officially start Jamaica's 'Road to Rio' 2014 World Cup Finals campaign, but today head coach Theodore Whitmore will be hoping the Reggae Boyz on the periphery make a positive first step towards claiming spots on the final squad.

They get the opportunity when Jamaica face neighbours Cuba in a friendly international at the National Stadium at 6:00 pm.

But as these players try to impress the technical staff and force their hand for selection, Whitmore, Jamaica's 1998 World Cup hero, is also hoping the players use the opportunity to influence and resurrect spectator support at 'The Office', which will be needed when the semi-final phase of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying series commences this summer.

"We haven't played in the National Stadium, our 'Office', for quite some time now," Whitmore told the Observer during Monday's practice session at the UWI Mona Bowl.

"Our World Cup qualification kicks off on June 8 and it will be in the 'Office', so it's really for us to get some games and try to get the public back behind us," he said.

Jamaica have not played at 'The Office' since 2010, and the technical staff is cognisant good performances will excite and stimulate spectator support.

"There are things we're looking at and... want to achieve," explained Whitmore. "And although our main objective is the World Cup Qualifiers, we want as much as possible to put in a good performance."

He said the team responded well in training over the past week and he is hopeful those carry over on game day.

"Although they're responding well in training, at the end of the day training does not count; it's what you do on game day, so they will have to put what they have learnt in training over the week into game situations," he noted.

"But so far we're very pleased with what we've seen... we're just waiting on them to fulfill the promise on game day. It is for us to give the local players a chance to show what they can do for a World Cup spot."

The Jamaica-Cuba battles started some 82 years ago, on March 16, 1930, when the Spanish-speaking island, just a mere 90 miles away, defeated Jamaica 3-1 at home in a CAC Games qualifier.

Since then the teams have met 32 times, ranging from official FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Caribbean Championships, Olympic and CAC Qualifiers to friendlies.

From the 32 games between them, Cuba have won 15, Jamaica nine and eight drawn. Ten of the games have come in CAC or Olympic Games Qualifiers, 15 in friendly internationals and seven in World Cup Qualifiers or Caribbean Championships.

Cuba lead the match-up with 48 goals, with Jamaica scoring 39. The biggest margin of victory for Cuba was a 7-0 hammering on June 12, 1966 in Puerto Rico at the CAC Games. For Jamaica, it was a 6-1 victory in Jamaica on August 13, 1962 at the CAC Games.

The Reggae Boyz have been the dominant force in the friendly matches, having won five, with two losses and eight drawn games. They have amassed 23 goals, while conceding 11.

However, Whitmore's team should be aware that the Cubans have won the last two friendlies — 1-0 in Cuba on March 13, 2003, and 2-1 here on July 6 the same year, when Richard Langley netted for Jamaica in a game where Onandi Lowe missed from the penalty spot.

A 26-member Cuban delegation arrived yesterday with the largely fringe players ready and waiting to try to force their way into technical director Raul Triana Gonzales's squad, which will contest Group C of the semi-final phase of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying series against Honduras, Panama and Canada.

From eight games played last year Cuba managed just one victory, a 2-1 result against Nicaragua at home. In three CONCACAF Gold Cup games the Spanish-speaking team was beaten badly, 5-0, 5-0 and 6-1 by Costa Rica, Mexico and El Salvador, respectively.

Yesterday they were scheduled to train at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex, as captain Carlos Francisco Serrano and his group look to change their fortunes ahead of the serious business of World Cup Qualifiers.

Whitmore and his technical staff have included three MLS-based players — captain Jermaine Taylor, Jevaughn Watson and Ryan Johnson -- to complement players pushing for places in the final World Cup pool.

One notable recall is Harbour View's midfield maestro Jermaine Hue, who appears to be in line for a starting role based on the training session on Monday. There is also Oneil Thompson, from Boys' Town, who is expected to be employed in central midfield, possibly alongside Joel Senior, Andrea Campbell and Xavian Virgo, with Hue, Johnson and Watson responsible for the attacking thrusts. The defence could be marshaled by Taylor, Adrian Reid and Keneil Moodie. Jacomeno Barrett and Richard McCallum are the goalkeepers in the squad, which is completed by Montrose Phinn, Rohan Reid, Upston Edwards, Troy Smith, Richard Edwards, Ewan Grandison, Camal Reid, Romeo Parkes, Jorginho James, Renae Lloyd, Navion Boyd, Tramaine Stewart, Mitchily Waul and Dino Williams.

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Boyz at work! - Ja face Cuban challenge at 'The Office'