Jamaica’s Under-17 Coach Andrew Edwards has set a range of goals for the two-match friendly tie with the USA to be played in Jamaica this week.

The first of those games gets underway today at Stadium East field, with kick-off set for 3:00 pm. The other is slated for Winchester Park on Sunday, also at 3:00 pm.

Like the USA, Jamaica have booked a spot in the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship to be held in Panama from April 21 – May 7, and both nations are using the games to get a measure of each other before those play-offs.

While victory is a key objective, Jamaica Head Coach Edwards was careful to set parallel goals.

“The fundamental thing is that we want to have good performances that we can be comfortable with and proud of,” he said after a downsized training session at the Jamaica Football Federation Technical Centre on Monday evening, where only 12 players participated as some players had to be at school.

“Importantly, we would want the boys to come out of the games feeling a sense of accomplishment, feeling that they are capable of competing with the best in CONCACAF, and if we have great performances that would boost our confidence going into Panama,” he said.

Edwards, who also coaches at the school level, says he intends to maintain a system of high-pressed football against the USA today, as that approach paid handsome dividend in matches against the North Americans in the last CONCACAF Under-17 Championship in Honduras last year.

Jamaica had defeated the USA 1-0 in group action and held the CONCACAF kingpins to a 0-0 draw in free-flowing play before losing on penalties in the knockout phase, which saw the Americans progressing to the Chile World Cup at the expense of the Young Boyz.

“Our main focus going into this game is our defensive organisation and cohesiveness as we play a high-press system, and in order for it to work well, we need all players to be synchronised in their actions and movements on the pitch.

“But if we are going to win the game, we have to do some offensive work, as well as we focus on our end game and finishing off those actions,” Edwards noted.

The Jamaica coach says he is confident the high-press approach would yield positive results against the Americans, who tend to play a direct brand of football.

“This system will work against the US, and we have to refer to the last qualification where we were successful against them and we need to continue that way.

“No player enjoys playing with limited space and time, and so if we are effective in our pressing game, then that means we will limit the time and space opposing teams have to play with, and if we do that very well, then we would be able to disrupt their flow and their rhythm,” Edwards argued.

The Jamaican tactician noted that he wants to use the series against a high-power opponent to resolve a number of issues, which were spots of bother for the team during two rounds of Caribbean qualifiers.

“We want to look at areas on the field that we want to be strong in… we have not played many teams who have held us goalless at the international level, and only Haiti have prevented us from scoring and we would want to continue the trend of scoring against everybody we play against.

“On the flip side of that, we have given up quite a number of goals and that is an area of concern, and we would want to come away from these games without giving up goals or limiting that as much as possible,” he said.

Edwards welcomes the USA friendlies as they allow him the chance to see a likely opponent in Panama.

“The possibility exist that we could draw the USA in the preliminary stage or later on, so it is good that we will get a look at them and get a good idea of where we are and what we need to do to take one of those four spots available to CONCACAF,” he told the

Jamaica Observer.

Edwards, a teacher by trade, said the games also present a great opportunity for the players to parade before home fans.

“It is very important as these youngsters are the future of Jamaica’s football… if we were looking at a long-term programme, then it would be expected that these youngsters would form the core of the senior national team in 2022 and 2026 for certain, so it’s important that they introduce themselves to the nation in a very positive way.

“It’s also good that the nation has the opportunity to come out and cheer for them and to also celebrate their success on the pitch, and with a good performance they could win over corporate Jamaica.”

Jamaica (from) — Daniel Russell, Jeadine White, Tajay Griffiths, Jahmoi Topey, Jordan Petrekin, Kendall Edwards, Nickashe Murray, Blake White, Jake Walker, Kimanni Gibbons, Ricardo McIntosh, Calwayne Allen, Casseam Priestly, Cobi Atkinson, Chad Letts, Raewin Senior, Marlando Maxwell, Jamari Morrison, Renato Campbell, Trayvon Reid, Nicque Daley, Brandon McGlashan, Omar Thompson, Kaheem Parris, Romario McPherson.

USA Squad — Carlos Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin Garces, Ethan Bartlow, Christopher Gloster, Jaylin Lindsey, Rayshaun McGann, Carlo Ritaccio, James Sands, Arturo Vasquez, Chandler Vaughn, George Acosta, Isaac Angking, Christopher Durkin, Blaine Ferri, Christopher Goslin, Adrian Villegas, Ayomide Akinola, Andrew Carleton, Zyen Jones, Bryan Reynolds Jr, Joshua Sargent, Tonny Temple.