Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
DOWNSWELL
JAMAICA'S UNDER-21 foot-ballers will leave the island today for Bermuda where they will play two friendly games in preparation for the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games later this year.
On Thursday the young Reggae Boyz will tackle the United States of America (USA) Major League Soccer team New England Revolution before taking on Bermuda on Saturday. The team returns on Sunday.
Jamaica will play in Paramaribo, Suriname in the CAC Games qualifiers between April 5-9 against the Dominican Republic and home team Suriname.
Wendell Downswell, technical director of Jamaica's football, said this trip is part of the ongoing development of the youth.
"This is part of the preparation of the Under-21s for the CAC qualifiers and part of the whole development of our youth programme," said Downswell. "The players are in transition from the Under-20 level and this will be good for them."
The 16-member squad includes five debutants with two England-based players in Nathan Koo-Boothe of Milton Keynes Don in the English League One and Joel Grant.
"Both players had expressed an interest and had trained with the team earlier and they looked fairly good," said Downswell.
Koo-Boothe is a central midfielder who can play defence and Grant is an attacking midfielder who can strike.
Shaun Francis of Glenmuir, a left sided player along with the tall Lance DaCosta, formerly of Tivoli Gardens High School now playing for Waterhouse Under-21, have also been drafted, as well as former national Under-17 captain Omroy Wilson.
Players: Ralston Robinson, Jermaine Taylor, Keneil Moodie, Ryan Thompson, Nicholy Finlayson, Merrick Howard, Seon Giveans, Mario Harrison, Dwayne Jumpp, Lance DaCosta, Bryan Bayliss, Horace Howell, Shaun Francis, Nathan Koo-Boothe, Joel Grant and Omroy Wilson.
The official delegation for the trip is:
Michael Ricketts, Courtney Brown, Howard Bell (manager), Wendell Downswell (head coach), Patrick Walters (assistant coach), Safiya Franklyn (team doctor), Sean Samuels (physical trainer).
