Reggae Boyz head for USA as do-or-die clash looms

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC- Five home-based Jamaican footballers were leaving here yesterday to joined their foreign based team mates in the United States ahead of their must win CONCACAF World Cup qualifier on Friday.

The five include Waterhouse club midfielder Romario Campbell who has been called up to the 22-man squad for the crucial fixture against USA at the Sporting Park in Kansas City.

The Reggae Boyz, facing a slender chance of advancing, will be expecting no favours from the USA which has already qualified for the World Cup in Brazil next year.

“It’s very important for us to beat the USA. We are trying our best to get the necessary results in the next two games,” Captain Horace Burrell, president of the Jamaica Football Federation, said in an interview with The Gleaner.

“The team has a slim chance of getting the play-off spot, so we are not concentrating on anything else but to win”.

Notable omissions from the squad are Luton Shelton, Marlon King and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, who broke a finger in training.

USA leads the six-nation hexagonal round on 16 points, ahead of Costa Rica (15) who have also qualified, followed by Honduras (11), Mexico and Panama on eight points apiece with Jamaica lying at the bottom on four points.

“We will go to the US and carve out a victory and will be hoping that other results go our way” Burrell added.

The full squad is Dwayne Kerr, Daniel Gordon, Marvin Elliott, Jermaine Johnson, Ryan Johnson, Joel McAnuff, Darren Mattocks, Theo Robinson, Shaun Cummings, Jermaine Taylor, Westley Morgan, Alvas Powell, Adrian Mariappa, Jevaughn Watson, Rodolph Austin, Demar Phillips, Deshorn Brown, Richard McCallum, Gariece McPherson, Jermaine Anderson, Romario Campbell and Kemar Lawrence.