Daraine Luton, Freelance Writer
WITH HOPES of a berth in the 2006 World Cup final already out the window, Jamaica's new-look Reggae Boyz will today continue their build up towards the consolation package - the Digicel Caribbean Cup.
Already through to the next round of the competition, the Jamaica team, fresh from two whopping victories last week 12-0 over St. Martin on Wednesday and an 11-1 thrashing of the US Virgin Islands on Friday, face a much tougher task today when they meet Haiti at the National Stadium.
Like Jamaica, Haiti have already booked their ticket through to the next round, but the French-speaking men are carrying a vengeance for the Boyz who derailed their World Cup hopes.
The last time both sides met at the National Stadium, Jamaica came away 3-0 winners. Then Marlon King hit an unprecedented first half hat-trick in World Cup qualifiers at the 'Office', a feat that left Haiti in tears as the result prevented them from moving to the semi-final stage of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers.
ZONE WINNERS
As it turned out, Jamaica failed to get past the semi-final stages and here the teams are once more fighting over more than bragging rights. Whomever wins this game will emerge zone winners, a feat Jamaica's interim head coach Wendell Downswell is almost certain the Boyz will achieve.
"We expect a very tough encounter from Haiti. They are far superior than the other teams we have played but we will come out of that game victorious," Downswell said yesterday.
"I will not predict the outcome in terms of goals but I do know we will win," he said.
Apart from the fact that home advantage rests with the Boyz, Jamaica also hold the edge in terms of goal-scoring. The Boyz have scored a total of 23 while Haiti have scored 13. However, Haiti, unlike Jamaica, still have a clean sheet while Jamaica have conceded one goal thus far. The latter factor does not worry the Jamaica coach too much though.
"There are no doubts about it, we have the advantage going into the game. The fact that we are No. 1 in the region and the fact that we are playing at home should work in our favour.
"I have seen the Haitian team. They look very good in attack and defence but we will be very methodic in our approach against them," he said.
The Harbour View pair of Jermaine Hue and Luton Shelton along with Tivoli Garden's Roland Dean are expected to carry on with their fine goal-scoring form.
HUE'S HAT-TRICK
Hue, the midfield maestro, has netted four times in two games, including a hat-trick on Friday at Jarrett Park. Meanwhile, Dean and Shelton have kicked in five goals apiece. Shelton got a hat-trick in the first game while Dean bagged a four-timer in that match.
Robert Scarlett (two), Khari Stephenson (two), Teofore Bennett (two), Fabian Davis, Richard West and captain Andy Williams (one each) have all found the back of the net, achievements that please Downswell.
"Scoring goals has been an age-old problem for us. The recent qualifiers were just an example. If we had converted 30 or 40 per cent of the chances we got, things could have been different. But we are glad that we have found people with the appetite to score lots of goals," the coach said.
Meanwhile, Downswell is appealing to Jamaicans to come out and support the Boyz in their quest for regional supremacy.
"Despite the upset experienced in seeing our train derailed in our World Cup attempts, I am appealing to the fans to come out and support the team. The response among the players has been great, they are very enthused about what they are doing and it can only get better," Downswell said.
The game starts at 5:00 p.m. It will be preceded by a clash between St. Martin and USVI at 3:00 p.m.
