Big test for Jamaica's Reggae Boyz

Andy Williams

JAMAICA will meet South American team Colombia this evening in their third international friendly under the guidance of new technical director Sebastiao Lazaroni.

The game gets going at 8:15 Jamaica time in the Giant Stadium in New Jersey.

On Wednesday May 17, the Reggae Boyz played to a 0-0 draw with a Romanian team made up totally of home-based players. This game was just three days after losing 0-1 to Panama at Jarrett Park.

Unlike last Wednesday when the Reggae Boyz fielded a strong unit with seven key overseas-based players, tonight's game will feature largely local-based players. Among the players absent from tonight's game are the frontline pair of Andy Williams and Deon Burton who according to reports - while not scoring- combined well against the Romanians. Williams will be on duty for his club, Miami Fusion while Burton is still nursing an injury.

Also expected to be out are the engine of the midfield Fitzroy Simpson who has family matters to take care of, new left wing-back Tyrone Marshall who like Williams will be on club duty. Darren Moore will also not make the trip.

Of primary concern to the team is the lack of a reliable pairing up front. The pair of Kevin Lamey and Oneil McDonald are tried and proven failures both in training and the practice matches in which they have been seen. They are way below international standard - at this time at least.

Possible substitutes for these two Kevin Deerr of Hazard and the young Dwayne Richards of Shortwood do not promise much more. In defence, Moore could be replaced by Ian Goodison who travelled with the team on Thursday morning or Michael Johnson who left yesterday to join the team. Robert Scarlett could adequately replace Marshall at left back while Winston Griffiths could walk into Simpson's spot in left midfield. The forward line though remains a big worry.

Compounding Jamaica's problems today, could be the fact that the team will only have one training session as they only arrived in New Jersey late Thursday night after being delayed in Miami due to engine trouble with the train.

Not much is known about their opponents but one expects a similar team to the one which beat top Portuguese club team Benfica 1-0 in Foxboro, Massachusetts on Wednesday last. The familiar names of Carlos Valderrama, Faustino Asprilla both retired as well as Freddy Rincon and the new star Johnnier Montano will be missing but it is still expected to be a strong squad.

Playing in that game against Benfica were: Miguel Caldro, Gonzalo Martinez, Gerardo Bedoya, Wilmer Ortegon, Manuel Alexander Fernandez, Luis Alberto Garcia, Mayer Andres Candelo, (Hector Hurtado), Franki Oviedo (Rubiel Quintana), Arley Dinas, Ivan Rene Valanciano (Carlos Alberto Castro) Jairo Castillo and (Guillermo Rivera).

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