By Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
Goodison
VETERAN defender Ian Goodison has been given a surprise recall to the Jamaica football squad for this month's high profile friendly against the mighty Brazilians at Leicester City's Walker's Stadium in England.
Goodison, a big no-nonsense defender, last played for Jamaica in the Gold Cup in March. A permanent fixture in the Reggae Boyz defence in games leading up to and during the 1998 World Cup in France, the 30-year-old Goodison has vast experience of English conditions having spent two seasons with English Division three club Hull City.
He did a knee operation in mid-year but is yet to turn out for his new local club, Tivoli Gardens, after four rounds of the 2003-04 National Premier League season.
Also named in the 20-man squad is 22-year-old Damani Ralph of American Major League Soccer Club Chicago Fire. Ralph, a former Harbour View player, is one of the leading marksmen in the MLS. He has had one outing for the Boyz before, a friendly against Grenada in August 2002.
Deon Burton, the darling of local fans in the lead up to France but who has fallen on rocky times lately, also earns a recall after last appearing in the Gold Cup qualifiers earlier this year. Burton now plays for Walsall in English Division 1.
WHITMORE RETURNS
Veteran midfielder Theodore Whitmore who is at Livingston in the Scottish Premier League returns to the squad after missing the recent friendly against Australia.
Goalkeepers Donovan Ricketts (Village United) and Aaron Lawrence (Reno) are two of six local-based players in the squad. The others are Damian Stewart and Fabian Taylor (Harbour View), Shane Crawford (Village) and Gerald Neil (Arnett Gardens).
Kevin Lisbie who scored an exciting hat-trick for Charlton Athletic on Sunday, Ricardo Fuller, Burton, Ralph and Taylor give technical director Carl Brown a lot of options up front in the absence of the injured pair of Onandi Lowe of Division 2 club Rushden and Diamonds and Barry Hayles of English Premier League team Fulham.
The Brazilians have named a very strong team for the game which will be played on October 12. The Brazil squad includes Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos four stars from the last World Cup winning team and under-23 standout Kaka.
The full Jamaica squad is Donovan Ricketts, Aaron Lawrence, Ian Goodison, Frank Sinclair, Damian Stewart, Shane Crawford, Claude Davis (subject to physical) , Gerald Neil, Craig Ziadie, Micah Hyde (subject to physical), Richard Langley, Andrew Williams, Andrew Williams, Theodore Whitmore, Jamie Lawrence, Ricardo Fuller, Deon Burton, Kevin Lisbie, Fabian Taylor, Ricardo Gardner and Damani Ralph.
