Sport

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida:

WHILE Jamaica's Reggae Boyz are determined to keep racking up positive results, head coach Theodore Whitmore admits he will lean on the side of caution when the national team faces Peru at the Lockhart Stadium here in Fort Lauderdale, at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. Jamaica time) today.

Despite commendable wins over familiar foes Trinidad and Costa Rica in their last two games, the Jamaicans could find the going a lot tougher against the 39th ranked South Americans, who are on a win-streak of their own, having notched victories over Honduras and Canada.

The meeting will, however, be just the second between the teams, which played to a 1-1 draw when they faced off at the National Stadium in 2006.

"We will have to take a cautious approach to this game, and I believe we will have to feel our way around the first 15 to 20 minutes," Whitmore told The Gleaner.

"The confidence is high in the team right now. We had two good results, but our focus right now is on the Peru friendly. It ended 1-1 the first time the teams met, it is going to be a very interesting encounter," he added.

Whitmore, who also has defending the Caribbean Cup and securing a place to the regional Gold Cup tournament on his agenda, indicated that he believed the fixture would provide a good acid test for the young Reggae Boyz squad.

"We have a lot of things that we need to work on. We have a long way to go and we could take a little while to get things to where we want them. The Peru game will give us a good idea of where exactly we are."

However, the Jamaica coach was quick to point out that a few of the team's more experienced players, while not currently on the roster, have not been permanently ruled out.

"We have never ruled out any player, and once they are playing well for their teams then they will earn a call to the national squad. However, right now we are looking to push players that are a little less experienced as they also deserve a chance."

US-based players' help

While opting not to confirm up to press time if there were to be any changes to the starting team that defeated Costa Rica 1-0 on Sunday night, Jamaica, ranked 82nd in the latest installment of the FIFA charts, will be bolstered by the inclusion of US-based players, forward Omar Cummings and defender Shavar Thomas, who both joined the squad yesterday.

Thomas, who was a part of the team that played to a 1-1 draw against Peru, will add a measure of experience, while Cummings, who has been in red-hot form for Major League Soccer (MLS) team Colorado Rapids, will provide some explosiveness.

Luton Shelton, the only other player to have featured in the draw between the countries, has also been mentioned by Whitmore as a viable option.

The central midfield pairing of Jason Morrison and Richard Edwards, who impressed the coach particularly in the second half of Sunday night's encounter against Costa Rica, are likely to remain untroubled, but Cummings and Thomas could force their way into the starting line-up come game time today.

With goalscorer Ryan Johnson expected to retain his spot, it is a possibility that Cummings could link up alongside Dane Richards for an all-MLS three-prong attack at some point during the game.

The Peruvians, who are also expected to have a decent following for the friendly, will be just as determined to keep their winning streak intact. Newly appointed coach, Sergio Markarian, a Uruguayan, has also targeted early qualification preparation for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as his primary aim.

He has included both José Carlos Fernandez and Jean Tragodara in their squad. Both netted four minutes apart against Canada, when they won 2-0 on Saturday.

Despite making it to the World Cup on four occasions, Peru have not appeared in the tournament since 1982.

In a late decision, last night's training session was cancelled due to heavy rains and lightning. The team was expected to train this morning at 5 a.m. Jamaica time, if the weather permits.