Boyz open World Cup 'Mission to Rio'

 Tackle Guatemala at ‘The Office’

JAMAICA'S senior footballers begin their quest for a place in the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup Finals today when they host Guatemala in an 8:30 pm Group A kick-off at the National Stadium.

The groups's other game will see the United States hosting Antigua and Barbuda in Florida.

Reggae Boyz Errol Stevens (left) and Ryan Johnson battle for possession during a squad game at the Catherine Hall Sport Complex on Wednesday. (Photo: Paul Reid)

The Jamaicans are one of six seeded countries just now entering at the semi-finals phase of the CONCACAF play-offs, which pits 12 teams in three groups competing through October 16 this year. The other seeded teams are Mexico, USA, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Cuba.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the six-team final phase in a single group from February 6 -October 15 next year.

From that group, the top three will qualify directly for Brazil, while the fourth-placed team will enter an intercontinental home-and-away play-off with the winners from the Oceania Confederation.

Also today, Costa Rica host El Salvador and Caribbean minnows Guyana visit the high altitude of Mexico in Group B, while in Group C, Cuba welcome Canada and Panama visit Honduras.

The Reggae Boyz tasted success in 1997 when they qualified for the France 1998 FIFA World Cup Finals, becoming the first English-speaking Caribbean country to achieve the feat.

One man who was instrumental in that achievement is Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore, now the head coach.

For that campaign Whitmore -- then known as a skilful midfield maestro -- opened with the winning goals against Suriname and duly closed that illustrious chapter with a spanking brace in a 2-1 triumph in Lyon, France, for Jamaica's solitary victory at the World Cup Finals against fellow debutantes Japan.

Fast-forward 14 years and Whitmore and his technical staff are confident of replicating history.

"We have the team, we have the goods and we have the ammunition, it is just for us to go out there and deliver," he told the Jamaica Observer following a squad match practice session at the Montego Bay Sports Complex on Wednesday evening, firmly tossing aside the disappointment of two friendly losses against Panama and the suspension of Marlon King and Chris Humphrey for breaking team rules.

The coach was also pleased with the reaction of his players in training following those below-par performances, and is eagerly awaiting the first whistle from Panamanian referee Roberto Moreno Salazar, whose panel of officials will include assistant referees Daniel Anel Williamson (Panama) and Keytzel Raul Corrales Mojica (Nicaragua); fourth official Jafeth Perea Amador (Panama) and referee assessor Rodolfo Alexander Sibrian from El Salvador.

In fact, Whitmore said he's "a hundred per cent confident" his players will get off to a winning start.

"We have a bunch of young boys who worked their socks off and got in line behind me," he said. "They're hungry, which is what you need when you pull on the national team shirt. You need pride."

Whitmore was drafted in for the dismissed Brazilian Rene Simoes in 2009 and immediately established himself as capable of getting the job done.

In the three remaining games of that 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, he registered 1-0 wins over Mexico and Honduras at home, before slamming Canada 3-0 for a perfect three-from-three.

However, it was not enough as Jamaica lost out on a place in the final six on goal difference to Mexico.

Since then, he has retained the Digicel Caribbean Cup and has been steadily preparing for today's contest. However, there have been trials and tribulations along the way.

After a fairly decent CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament last summer when the Boyz advanced to the quarter-finals against the USA in Washington DC, where they bowed out 0-2, they lost momentum and suffered a string of losses in international friendlies, forcing the technical staff to have a rethink of its policy regarding the UK-based players.

"We started building a new core for the team when I took over," Whitmore said. "We needed to rebuild."

But after publicly lashing out at some of his players, the more experienced UK-based players were given another chance, leading to the recall of players such as Claude Davis, Ricardo Fuller, Damion Stewart, and Marlon King, and the introduction of Nyron Nosworthy, Adrian Mariappa and Chris Humphrey.

It was, therefore, no surprise with the team's disjointed performances against Panama, but the players have looked a lot better as a unit over the past week, leading to the coach's soaring confidence.

"I think it (training session) was positive again; the guys came out and achieved what we set out to achieve... it was excellent," he beamed on Wednesday evening.

Still, he wasn't prepared to look too far ahead, having realised the team hasn't achieved anything yet. "We have laid the foundations and now we have to execute and take advantage... Brazil 2014 is there as our target," he said.

Demar Phillips, who was suffering from a bout of flu, missed Wednesday's squad match, but the coach was sure he would take his place at left back in a back four which should see Mariappa and his Watford FC teammate Nosworthy at central defence, with either Xavian Virgo or Lovell Palmer at right back with captain Donovan Ricketts in goal.

The pair of Jason Morrison and Rodolph Austin are expected to control the tempo of the team from central midfield with Dane Richards and Je-Vaughn Watson on the flanks and Luton Shelton and Ryan Johnson in attack.

Though Jamaica have never met Guatemala in a World Cup qualifier, they hold the edge in recent times, scoring nine wins with three losses and four draws in their 16 encounters, including five straight victories and eight in their last 10 outings.

Today all this statistics mean nothing, but the Boyz will be looking to continue the trend.