-Reuters
Jamaica's Frank Sinclair stretches during a squad training session at the Walkers' Stadium in Leicester yesterday.
Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
PRACTICE FOR important upcoming internationals is their major objective. It also shapes up as the only similarity between the Reggae Boyz and giants Brazil who will line up for a David vs Goliath affair at Leicester City's Walker's Stadium today at 9:00 a.m. (Ja time).
Undaunted, Jamaica's technical director, Carl Brown, told The Gleaner after training yesterday that the vibe "is great ... it has been great. The enthusiasm and mood in the camp is really good. The team in their training session today looked really good. They're ready to go"
So, too, are the fans as all tickets for the 32,000-capacity venue "have been sold out", JFF president Captain Horace Burrell told The Gleaner in a telephone interview shortly before.
BIG STARS
The interest is a reflection more of the expectant showing from the world champion Brazilians, the kings of football which have lined up nearly all their big stars for what their technical director, Carlos Alberto Parreira, said was a meaningful fine-tuning process.
"Every time the Brazilian team takes the field it has to be serious. We believe there is no easy team anymore, everybody has improved," Parreira said earlier this week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Two-time FIFA Player of the World and current Golden Boot holder, Ronaldo, headlines a crack line-up featuring the man with the deadly left-footed finish Rivaldo, the wing back with the powerhouse kicks Roberto Carlos, captain Cafu who runs the other flank and new sensation Kaka.
No one in Jamaica's squad is so recognised and respected globally, but their ambitions are undoubtedly inflated for this gigantic confrontation.
"This is the biggest game that we'll be engaged in," admitted Brown. "It will be a great motivating factor for the players, just to participate against the world champions and I expect it to bring out the best in our players"
In saying so, he mirrored the thoughts of Parreira who said the Reggae Boyz "will play the game of their lives, they will have motivation, they are playing against the five-time world champions".
Some of whom number among that fired-up group are eight English-based players including captain Theodore Whitmore, exciting and destructive forward Ricardo Fuller, Ricardo Gardner, Richard Langley; four MLS stars in Damani Ralph, Andy Williams, Tyrone Marshall and Chris Ziadie; and a six-member local-based party with custodian Donovan Ricketts the only starter.
Ralph, a former St. George's College and Harbour View player who was dogged by an injury in the latter part of his developmental stages here, gets a first-time call after impressing with his scoring exploits in the US at Chicago Fire. He recently expressed concerns over not being given a try and will be keen to make use of this opportunity when he comes off the bench.
"Yes, man," was Brown's response when asked if he will play. "Everybody will at some stage get a chance to play"
Ralph's success, along with that of the lead offensive man, Fuller, and Deon Burton who gets back the starting role in the absence of injured Kevin Lisbie, carry hopes of making results just as good as those earned by the Jamaicans when the teams last met. That was in 1998 at the Gold Cup when in two games the Boyz held the Samba Kings goalless and lost 1-0 through an extra-time goal.
Then, both teams were on the verge of participating in the World Cup finals in France and fielded their strongest units.
Brazil have already started their World Cup campaign in the South American qualifying series and beat Ecuador in their most recent match, 1-0, last month.
The Jamaicans will kick-off their qualifying campaign early next year when the CONCACAF series starts. They lost their last international, 2-1 to Australia in a friendly in London last month.
"This could be our best test to date and our best way of assessing the team, where we are and what we need to do from now on leading into the World Cup qualifiers," Brown said.
He also listed closing down Brazil's midfield and tightening up in defence as key requirements for his team.
"Across the middle of the field they have some really strong players and I believe this is where we really have to contain them.
"We need to start preventing teams from getting goals against us and in the meantime, try to get some goals ourselves," he said.
Part of their defensive strategy will be a changed formation with five defenders instead of the much-criticised flat back four to which Brown explained that "... the goals that we've given up is not so much formation, but players giving up on their responsibility".
Thus Marshall, Claude Davis, who was kept out of his team's recent matches because of injury, and unfancied Frank Sinclair will play in the centre of defence with Gardner and Chris Ziadie at full back.
Both teams will miss a midfielder through injury, Micah Hyde for Jamaica and Ronaldinho for Brazil.
Hardman Jamie Lawrence gets the difficult clean up job in a pacy and skilful midfield against the likes of Kaka, Ze Roberto, Gilberto Silva, Juninho Paulista and Emerson, with Whitmore and Langley given the creative and stabilising roles.
Teams:
Jamaica: Donovan Ricketts (goal); Ricardo Gardner, Tyrone Marshall, Claude Davis, Chris Ziadie (defence); Theodore Whitmore, Jamie Lawrence, Richard Langley (midfield); Deon Burton, Ricardo Fuller (forwards). Reserves - Aaron Lawrence, Gerald Neil, Shane Crawford, Andy Williams, Damani Ralph, Fabian Taylor.
Brazil (from): Dida, Julio Cesar (goalkeepers); Edmilson, Lucio, Roque Junior, Belletti, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Junior (defenders); Emerson, Gilverto Silva, Juninho Paulista, Juninho Pernambuco, Ze Roberto, Kaka, Ronaldinho (midfielders); Adriano, Denilson, Rivaldo, Ronaldo (forwards).
