Nodley Wright, Staff ReporterJAMAICA'S UNDER-17 footballers will today continue their hunt for a place in the age group World Cup finals when they tackle Antigua & Barbuda at the Harbour View Mini-Stadium. Kickoff time is 1:00 p.m.
Both teams are coming off impressive wins over their opposition in the first series of games in the preliminary rounds. Jamaica recorded 5-1 and 2-1 wins over St Kitts and Nevis while Antigua and Barbuda put away Grenada 2-0 and 6-1.
For these two teams, today's matchup should be a different ballgame. To begin with, they met in a friendly before their respective campaigns started. Jamaica came out 2-1 winners but that was instructive to both camps.
"What we found about the Jamaican team is that they are very strong and we have to be very careful. They are a very balanced team," said Alfredo Montesso who is a part of the visitors' coaching staff.
He added: "This is a more composed team and they are more experienced in that they have a mirror in front of them - three Jamaiacan teams have already qualified for a World Cup."
While being full of praise for the home team, Montesso said that his charges were younger and not as experienced as the Jamaicans.
"We are a pretty young team with not much experience. This is the first Antiguan youth team to advance from the first round of a qualifier," he continued.
As far as Montesso is concerned, if his charges are to get by Jamaica, they will have to "hold Jamaica" to a draw here and then go for a win in Antigua.
This, he thinks, is not hard to achieve as in the World Cup which ended earlier this year a number of fancied teams were knocked out by less fancied opposition.
What the Antiguan party will also be counting as a positive is the fact that Montesso and another member of the coaching staff, Walter Gama, were involved with the Jamaica football programme at the height of its success.
"I just think that we know the philoshophy of Jamaica's football. I was with the Under-17s with (Rene) Simoes and Gama when the Under-17s qualified for New Zealand."
While he respects the strength of the Jamaican team, if there is one weakness that Montesso has noticed is their limited number of matches.
"One weakness could be with the number of games that they have played. The 1999 Under-17s went to Europe, we went to France for a tournament, went to Brazil for another tournament."
Jamaica's coach, Patrick "Jackie" Walters, will not be reading too much into the Brazilian influence on the Antiguans and their knowledge of the Jamaican style.
"We know how they play, they know how we play so no big deal," said Walters.
"One of the reasons why they invited us (for the friendly in Antigua) was to have a look at us but we had a look at them also and had a taste of the conditions. Us going back there for the second leg is not unexplored territory."
Having worked closely with Gama, especially at the Under-17 level, Walters understands the thinking of the man credited by many as the brain behind the Jamaican programme implemented by Simoes. He expects a high press game which is what he encountered in Antigua.
"We just have to adjust to the situations. They tried the high press game on us in Antigua and we did well against it. In that game we were also down to 10-men for a good period and still won.
"They tend to counter very quickly and are some times very direct."
Despite the number of missed training sessions due to the poor weather conditions experienced in Jamaica over the past two weeks, his players are in good spirits.
"They are coming out with a certain level of determination, they want to win," Walters said.
Jamaica will probably be without defenders Andrew Fraser and Kemar Munroe who are nursing injuries but, according to Walters, there is enough quality around to fill in. Top forward Steven Morrissey, who has scored four of Jamaica's seven goals, has shaken off a bug and is ready for action.
Teams: Jamaica (from) - Erron Brown, Dwayne Kerr, Andrew Fraser, Richard Kentish, Kemar Munroe, Ricardo Taylor, Calvin Walker, Marvin Fagan, Horatio Taffe, Marlon Benbow, Seon Giveans, Steven Morrissey, Donovan Miller, Anthony Christie, Nicholas Lynch, Leroux Lothian, Kevin Dixon, Christopher Williams, Orane Gordon and Orlando Dorma.
Antigua and Barbuda (from) - Akeem Grant, Clifford Samuels, Clifton Silcott, Cordel Sterling, Doshon Browne, Jabari Luke, Javid Joseph, Jon Whyte, Julio Charles, Ken Pennyfearher, Odell Murray, Shaine Brooks, Shareem Jhin-Vierre, Vivin Junior Destin, Vivian Richard, Ocie Yacamber Knight, Ropbinson Lawson.
