Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
Fabian Dawkins (right) ... called up for Jamaica's friendly against Guatemala tomorrow. - FILE
JAMAICA HAVE named an 18-man squad for a friendly international against Guatemala at the Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, tomorrow.
National coach Wendell Downswell, because of availability and a thrust towards garnering experience for a wider cross-section of players, has called up a team made up almost entirely of local-based players.
The only foreign-based players are Teofore Bennett and Khari Stephenson.
The other 16 players are goalkeepers Shawn Sawyers and Leighton Murray. Defenders Jermaine Taylor, Desmond Breakenridge, Keniel Moodie and Garfield Reid. Midfielders Omar Daley, Stephenson, Jermaine Johnson, Lovel Palmer, Nicholy Findlayson, Jason Morrison, Oneil Thompson and Shane Crawford. Along with strikers Luton Shelton, Bennett, in-form Fabian Dawkins and Christopher Nicholas.
HAT-TRICK
Dawkins, who only recently returned to the Wray and Nephew National Premier League after a successful stint abroad in the U.S. 'A' League, has so far scored five goals in two games, with his latest exploit being a hat-trick against Waterhouse that led to a surprise 4-1 rout of the former Premier League champions on Wednesday.
The squad leaves the island this morning for the game that will begin at 7:00 p.m. local time.
The Guatemalans were to have played a practice match against the Jamaicans last month but had visa problems and had to postpone the event.
While the friendlies are important to the Jamaicans because they need to maintain their world ranking, it is even more important for the Guatemalans who are still in the battle to qualify for the World Cup in Germany next year.
Guatemala are just ahead of Trinidad and Tobago in fourth place with two games to go. If they finish in that position they will have to participate in a play-off against either Uzbekistan or Bahrain for a spot in football's showpiece.
The United States and Mexico have already qualified with 19 points. Costa Rica now have 13 points and only need two draws to ensure qualification as the third-placed team.
Trinidad and Tobago have seven points while Guatemala have eight.
