By Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter
Reggae Boyz Claude Davis (left) and Shane Crawford go through speed training ahead of today's friendly international against the United States at the National Stadium. In the background are Ricardo Gardner, Andy Williams, Tyrone Marshall, Craig Ziadie and Deon Burton. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
AFTER ALMOST 15 months of inactivity, 'the Office' will reopen for business when the Reggae Boyz go up against the United States in a friendly match at the National Stadium at 7:00 this evening.
For the Reggae Boyz it cannot be business as usual. Things will have to be conducted in a different way. In their 12 transactions to date - beginning in 1988, the US have come out with the better deal.
On that first occasion both teams broke even with the game ending 0-0 at 'the Office'.
In May last year the place of business was New Jersey and the men from up north took all the spoils in a 5-0 victory.
"I think that 5-0 defeat would be very much in their (Jamaica's players) minds. They would want to erase that memory," said technical director Carl Brown about tonight's encounter.
Other meetings too in which the results were close will also be used as motivation against the team which defeated Canada 3-0 and went down 1-0 to an experimental Argentine side last week. "I think also that they would be reflecting on some of the other games that we have played.
"The 1-1 game in Washington (October 1997), the game which ended 2-2 (September 1999) here and the 0-0 (March 1997 in Kingston) game," said Brown.
Going back to the 5-0 defeat, Brown said that result was not about the difference between the two teams but "about the attitude we took into a game and lost".
This evening should be different.
"I believe they would want to correct that," he said of his charges.
United States coach Bruce Arena said after their loss over the weekend to Argentina that a tough match should be on the cards.
"Our expectation is to go to Kingston and have a good match against a team which will be difficult to play," Arena said on Saturday.
"I know Jamaica will have the services of a number of their England-based players, so it will be a very difficult game for us," said Arena who will be fielding an inexperienced team.
The most capped player on the team will be 20 year-old midfielder forward Landon Donovan with 31 caps. Donovan who played in the 1999 Under-17 World Cup, the 2001 Under-20 World Cup and played in all the US games at last year's World Cup is followed on the cap chart by 26-year-old Clint Mathis.
Teams: US - from Tim Howard, Nick Rimando, Dan Califf, Carlos Bocanegra, Cherundolo, Brian Dunseth, Nick Garcia, Bobby Convey, Beasley, Donovan, Ben Olsen, Chris Klieg, Mastroeni, Richard Mulrooney, Steve Ralston, Pete Vagenas, Jeff Cunningham, Mathis and Taylor Twellman.
Jamaica Aaron Lawrence, Claude Davis, Ian Goodison, Tyrone Marshall, Craig Ziadie, Robert Scarlett, Ricardo Gardner, Omar Daley, Damien Francis or Theodore Whitmore, Onandi Lowe and Deon Burton.
