REGGAE Girlz head coach Vin Blaine says he is still smarting from not having an international camp for the Under-20s ahead of the CONCACAF Finals slated for Panama between March 1 and 11.

A lack of funding forced the governing Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) to abandon a proposed eight-day training camp in Fort Lauderdale, forcing the technical staff to revert to a five-day exercise on local soil instead.

“My concern as always is the lack of games against opponents similar to those who we come up against at the CONCACAF level,” said Blaine.

With a full complement of players at his disposal for the downsized exercise, Blaine has scheduled two warm-up games that will give him the opportunity “to organise the team tactically”.

“The morning and evening sessions will concentrate on the tactical arrangement of the team, attacking schemes, and a lot of emphasis on our transition from attack to defence,” he said of the training sessions that will accompany the two games.

In one of those matches, the Girlz were due to face a Portmore Under-15 boys unit at Ferdie Neita Park yesterday.

The second game is scheduled for tomorrow at Waterhouse Mini-stadium against a Sherwin Williams select squad at 6:00 pm.

Before that match-up, the squad will have a training session at the Mona Bowl at 6:30 am.

Today they are due to attend church in the morning, then on to an afternoon workout at 4:00 at the same venue. The team departs Kingston direct to Panama City at 6:00 pm on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Blaine said while he’s largely satisfied with the physical conditioning of the overseas-based and resident players, there is room for improvement.

“At present I am satisfied; however, their levels could be higher,” he told the Sunday Observer.

Ten foreign-based players have been named to the 19-member squad that will travel on Tuesday. They are Nugene Nugent, Carla Daniels, Sashagay Spence, Marlo Sweatman, Shanyce Shaw, Kimberly Spence, Chinyelu Asher, Alika Keene, Toriana Patterson and Taylor Grant.

The squad is completed by local-based Trudi Carter (captain), Shenika Williams, Sherika Ingram, Khedine Salmon, Sasalee Cooper, Daysia White, Renee Freeman, Khadija Shaw and Mellissa Bryan.

Jamaica will open their Group A campaign against Canada on March 1, then face Mexico on March 3, and close the preliminary phase two days later against neighbours Haiti.

The two top teams from each zone will advance to the semi-final, with the two winners advancing to the World Cup.

The other spot will be filled by the winner of the third-place play-off match.

Group B will be headed by champions USA, who will have hosts Panama, Guatemala and Cuba to contend with.