Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
JAMAICA WILL aim to add to their growing list of football achievements today when they take on neighbours Cuba in the return leg of the CONCACAF first round Olympic qualifiers.
A victory in the game, which kicks off at 5:00 p.m. at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex, will put them one step closer to their dream. Both teams ended 1-1 in their September 7 first leg played in Havana, Cuba.
"It is our ambition to get to the Olympics in Greece and to do that we have smaller objectives such as getting past Cuba," coach Peter Cargill said yesterday.
"We made the first step in Cuba by coming away with a draw. We would now like to make another positive step," he said.
Olympic qualification would add to the national team qualifying for the World Cup in 1998, Under-17s reaching the Youth World Cup in 1999 and the Under-20s heading to Argentina in 2001 for that age group World Championships.
To ensure that Cuba are beaten, Jamaica will field a team strengthened by the inclusion of central defender Shavar Thomas who plays in the MLS, midfielder Omar Daley of English First Division club Reading, midfielder Keith Kelly, who recently returned from France where he was attached to Paris Saint Germain, and local boy Fabian Dawkins who has recovered from injury.
All four players were key members of Jamaica's Under-20 team which qualified for the 2001 Under-20 World Cup.
"Shavar Thomas and Daley will bring to the mix more experience and leadership from playing overseas in a professional environment," Cargill said.
Kelly has only been training for close to two weeks and will not start while Dawkins will slot into the left side of midfield where he is expected to "add a lot of mobility and hard work to the midfield -- provide some assists and possibly goals".
With Shavar Thomas holding together the backline of Bradley Thomas, Christopher Harvey and Demar Phillips offering protection to goalkeeper Allien Whittaker, Daley is expected to spur on the midfield. Playing on the right side, Daley will have the other Damion Williams, this one of Seba United, Tyrone Sawyers in the centre and Dawkins on the left.
The forward line could be somewhat of a surprise with Khari Stephenson - known more as a midfielder - and Luton Shelton forming a partnership. For Cargill, the utilisation of Stephenson is nothing strange. Stephenson, who is of a similar physique to national forward Onandi Lowe, has been doing well in that position.
Additionally, "he provides a lot of mobility, links up well with the midfield and (above all) works hard for the team and has the capacity to score also," said Gargill.
Despite the strengthening of the home team, Cargill does not expect the Cubans to be walkovers.
"I am expecting a tougher team than the one we faced in Cuba. They would have seen us from the first leg and would have made some adjustments too," he said.
If Jamaica clear the hurdle of Cuba, they will meet the winner of the matchup between Guatemala and Suriname in the second round. Both legs of those second round games will be played between November 15 and 19 on a home-and-away basis.
Teams
Jamaica: Allien Whittaker, Shavar Thomas, Bradley Thomas, Christopher Harvey, Demar Phillips, Damion Williams (Seba United), Tyrone Sawyers, Omar Daley, Fabian Dawkins, Khari Stephenson and Luton Shelton. Subs: Richard McCallum, Keith Kelly, Desmond Breakenridge, Lenworth Hyde Jnr and Cleveland Taylor.
Cuba (from): Julio Aldama Zamora, Sandro Sevillano, Reisandry Fernandez Cervantes, Yusuany Caballero Ibez, Raicel Agramonte Pages, Carlos Madrigal Cabrera, Yulier Olivera Rodriguez, Lizaro Alfonso Prats, Alain Cervantes O'Farrill, Reiner Alcantara Nunez , Maikel Galindo Castaneda, Yunier Escalona Corrales, Hansel Zayas Zequeira and Jenssy Munoz.
