Gordon Williams, Contributor 
Portmore United's File photo shows Onandi Lowe celebrating after scoring his second goal against Village United in the Red Stripe Champions Cup action at the Ferdie Neita Sports Complex on February 16 this year. Portmore won the game 4-0 and advanced to the next round 5-0. Lowe has been released by USL franchise Miami F.C. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
CONTROVERSIAL JAMAICAN footballer Onandi Lowe has been released by his latest professional club because of sources at Miami F.C. claim, problems with his attitude.
"Onandi is no longer with the team," Gerardo Villa, press officer for South Florida's newest professional football club, confirmed on Thursday.
Meanwhile, according to a senior representative of Portmore United, which sent him to Miami F.C. on a one-year loan deal, said the local club had not heard from Lowe since his reported return to Jamaica some time last week.
"He hasn't contacted us since the matter arose," said team manager Clive Marshall yesterday morning. "We only heard he was in Jamaica."
Miami F.C., which also carries Jamaican Sean Fraser on its roster, is scheduled to begin play in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) in a few weeks. The club is also scheduled to face Portmore United tomorrow in a pre-season match in the South Florida city.
NOT PLEASED
Villa said that Lowe was not pleased with the club and this may have affected his behaviour during a recent pre-season training camp in Brazil, which tainted the chemistry of the fledgling unit.
"(Lowe) was not happy there and his attitude was affecting the team," said Villa. The club's coach, Brazilian Chiquinho De Assis, and Lowe's teammates were also unhappy with his approach to the job, Villa explained.
"He (Lowe) didn't like to work with the team," he said. "The players weren't happy with him. The coach wasn't happy with his attitude, but not his playing (ability)."
Marshall also confirmed Lowe's release from Miami F.C., but said Portmore United had not received an official report from the Florida-based club as to the circumstances surrounding it.
"Not yet," he said. "We haven't spoken to the person who is directly involved in the matter, the coach."
That, Marshall said, the team plans
to do when it arrives in Miami for tomorrow's game. He also explained that although Miami F.C. severed ties with Lowe, making him officially a Portmore United player again, the striker would not be part of the team's squad to Florida.
"Definitely not," Marshall said.
Efforts to contact Lowe have been unsuccessful.
According to Miami F.C., which
currently has former Brazilian World Cup stars Romario and Zinho on its roster, Lowe should have been aware of his impending departure from the team during the overseas training stint, before the team returned to Miami on April 5.
"The problems started in Brazil at the training camp," Villa said. "It was made official when the team came back ...
"(Lowe) was not working with the team dynamics. He knew he was going to be released before he came back. He didn't want to stay either."
FIRST REACTION
Marshall said that when he learned about Lowe's release from Miami F.C. his first reaction was "here we go again with a situation". He called the incident "disappointing" because he believed Lowe, who has been plagued by controversy in his football career, had turned the corner at Portmore United.
"Naturally, like any athlete with talent, there is a little arrogance with Onandi," Marshall said. "The only difference is he can't control his emotions sometimes. We thought there was some more maturity."
However, Marshall explained that Portmore United would not rule out
working with Lowe, although that decision would be based on the information gathered from all the parties involved in the Miami F.C. incident.
"When you weigh the pros and cons, what we would decide to do for Onandi Lowe is to continue what we originally set out to do for him," the manager said. "Anything less would be falling short of that. We would not want to cut him (from the team) like that ...We haven't heard his side of it. It is only fair that we do."
FRASER'S FORTUNES
Meanwhile, Fraser's fortunes with Miami F.C. have been better. Villa said the former Jamaica representative is a member of the squad.
"Sean Fraser is still with the team," he said. "He's on the final roster."
He described Fraser's conduct as "good," unlike his former Jamaican teammate.
"Nobody had problems but Onandi," Villa said, adding that he was not sure why Lowe behaved the way he said the striker did. However, Lowe, who has played for professional clubs in the United States and Britain, has had problems at club and international level before. He has been suspended by the national team because of his conduct, and has reportedly missed other professional opportunities, especially in Britain, because he was charged with drug
trafficking there. The British courts eventually found him innocent of the charges last year, but Lowe has not been with a British club since.
NATIONAL TEAM
He has also been out of the national team for a while. According to the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) last year, Lowe demanded a huge sum of money to offset his court costs as a condition to rejoin to the Reggae Boyz. The JFF declined.
But recently, following Lowe's return to local football, technical director Wendell Downswell said the talented player would always be welcomed back to the national team if he abided by the criteria set out by the JFF.
Lowe, although below his best in Portmore's recent CONCACAF Champions Cup games, still impressed observers with his performances against Mexico's Club America. Miami F.C. became interested.
However, Lowe was not summoned to Jamaica's squad for the match against the U.S. on Tuesday night. His professional football future again appears to be in question.
Gordon Williams is a Jamaican
journalist based in the United States.
