Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
National coach Wendell Downswell talks to the Reggae Boyz during a practice session at the National Stadium prior to the Digicel Caribbean Cup. Downswell predicts his players will put in a better performance against England in their friendly international next month.- FILE
NATIONAL COACH Wendell Downswell is keen on avoiding the mistakes made in the friendly international if it may so be called against Australia last year, when the Reggae Boyz take on England in the historic encounter on June 3 at Old Trafford.
There was nothing chummy, well certainly not the scoreline, when Jamaica faced the Socceroos back in October. The Australians, currently 44th in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings along with Jamaica, defeated the Boyz 5-0 at Craven Cottage.
Now, facing the daunting task of taking on an England squad regarded by many among the World Cup favourites, Downswell does not believe that the game will proceed along similar lines.
"We recognised that when we played against Australia we went up there two days before, had a three-quarter session in terms of preparation and as a result it was a disaster for us," he said.
The coach believes that the squad will be ready to face an England team, currently 10th in the FIFA world rankings.
"We have learned from that, we will be ready and this is the best possible squad that we could have assembled and what is good is that the players will be rested," he added. Downswell expects that the camp, which will be held 10 days before the game, will be a competitive one and is looking forward to it.
"The players that we have invited are quite upbeat and are ready to go. We want to see the fans at the training sessions and we know everyone back home will be rooting for us," he said.
Wray and Nephew National Premier League champions Waterhouse F.C may feel that they have been given the cold shoulder though, as late addition Garfield Reid is their only invitee to the 30-man squad.
However, Downswell insists that the players not already called to the squad will still have a chance to be selected from the Digicel Caribbean Cup squad soon to be coming up.
"Some of these players while not in the 30 will be included in part of the training process, so we will be looking at them," he said.
"If players come there that are really impressive, the opportunity will be there for them even though they have not been officially named in the squad," he added.
Jamaica's last friendly saw them wrestle their way to a 1-1 draw against the United States last month.
Squad: Goalkeepers Donovan Ricketts, Shawn Sawyers, Duwayne Kerr; Defenders Tyrone Marshall, Claude Davis, Damion Stewart, Omar Daley, Garfield Reid, Jermaine Taylor, Oneil Thompson, Demar Stewart, Keneil Moodie, Adrian Reid, Desmond Breakenridge; Midfielders Ricardo Gardner (captain), Jason Euell, Jermaine Hue, Khari Stephenson, Jermaine Johnson, Jason Morrison, Nicholy Finlayson, Fabian Davis, Fabian Dawkins, Lovel Palmer; Forwards Ricardo Fuller, Marlon King, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Teofore Bennett, Luton Shelton, Ryan Johnson.
