PARAMARIBO, Suriname — Jamaica’s Under-23 footballers will seek to put a foot into the second round of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Olympic Qualifiers when they take on the Cayman Islands at the Andre Kamperveen Stadium here today.

The match is scheduled to start at 3:00 pm Jamaica time.

After escaping with a 2-0 victory over a tenacious St Vincent and the Grenadines in the group’s opening match on Wednesday, the Jamaicans trained for over an hour yesterday at the NGVB Football Club in Suriname’s capital, Paramaribo.

Speaking to the Observer after the training session, head coach Alfredo Montesso said he is expecting a better showing from the Jamaicans against a Cayman team which lost 5-0 to hosts Suriname in Wednesday’s second game of a double-header.

“The team had a meeting since that first game and we talked about how we need to improve and how we need to play against the Cayman Islands.

“In the St Vincent game we were more anxious than I thought (we should have been), but the players are over that now. From what I saw of Cayman I think they broke down because of (lack of) fitness and we have to take advantage of that,” he said.

The Young Reggae Boyz will again look to the industrious, pint-sized midfielder Alanzo Adlam to create opportunities for the strikers and hope that central linkman Evan Taylor improves on his below-par showing on Wednesday.

Romeo Parkes, who scored an exquisite right-footer to open the scoring against St Vincent, is also a key cog in what is expected to be a four-man midfield.

Speedy right-back Leaunghn Williams, who notched the game’s second goal, is also a crucial player for the Jamaicans.

Meanwhile, there are minor injury concerns for forward Andre Clennon, Williams and central midfielder Davion Thorpe. All three have been suffering from leg cramps.

The Cayman Islands, guided by veteran former Jamaica coach Carl Brown, will be desperate to get a positive result to keep alive their slim hope of advancing.

Brown, who has been coaching in the Cayman Islands at various levels since 2007, said he is looking to see improvements in his players, though the Jamaica team could prove to be tougher opponents than Suriname.

“We expect a tough game from Jamaica and they should be stronger than Suriname, but my players should be more settled and more comfortable.

“We were nervous in that match against the hosts and we entered the tournament without good practice games. We can create an upset and really that is what we will set out to do,” Brown told the Observer at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Paramaribo yesterday.

The second game of the double-header will feature Suriname and St Vincent and the Grenadines. The Jamaicans are scheduled to end the first round of the CFU qualifying against Suriname on August 7.

Only the winner of the group will advance to the second round qualifying phase.

Jamaica’s possible starting XI — Andre Blake (GK), Keithy Simpson (capt), Andrae Campbell, Leaunghn Williams, Theo Brown, Davion Thorpe, Evan Taylor, Romeo Parkes, Andre Clennon, Alanzo Adlam, Jason Johnson.