Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor-Sport
Dwayne Kerr has been outstanding in goal, helping to keep a clean sheet. - AP
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
Coach Wendell Downs-well has promised a more offensive approach when Jamaica's Young Reggae Boyz take the field against Ecuador at the Maracana Stadium today at 3 p.m. (1 p.m. Jamaiaca time) in their first-ever appearance in the final of the Pan American Games football competition.
No Jamaican team had previously got past the first round of the competition after three previous tries in 1971, 1975 and 1999, and the Under-20 Boyz, already assured of a historic medal, will, according to Downswell, be looking for that 'crowning moment'.
"We expect a tough final, but we are very confident," he said.
"I must first give full credit to the players," he added as they prepared for their final training session yesterday afternoon ahead of the crucial game which will see the winners getting gold medals and the losers, silver.
"The players have been exemplary in their behaviour on and off the field. Full praise also for trainer Sean 'Junior' Samuels who has put a superb programme in place."
A cautious approach in the last game earned Jamaica a victory which had seemed unlikely after Mexico controlled much of the possession. Downswell said the team executed their game plan well.
"Our plan was to counter-attack as we played the last game with a depleted squad. Two of our best offensive players, John-Ross Doyley and Eric Vernon, were out. In addition the Mexicans had far more mature players and we had to be methodical in our approach."
With the entire squad available for selection today, Downswell says he wants to maintain the team's record of not conceding a goal.
"We plan to put on our best performance of the tournament in the final," he added.
The players responsible for the clean sheet in four matches have been the big goalkeeper Dwayne Kerr who has dominated his area and defenders Damaine Thompson, Troy Smith, Ajuran Brown and Obrian Woodbine. Woodbine has been outstanding and has helped to bolster the team's attacks with some good over-lapping runs.
Kaemmar Daley, the competition's leading scorer, had good chances in the last match but failed to convert and the team will be hoping that he rediscovers his shooting form in their biggest match ever.
Downswell watched the Ecuadoreans play earlier this week and has already devised a game plan to counter their best players, including Pablo Ochoa who has scored twice in the competition and Carlos Delgado who got the decisive goal in the semi-final against Bolivia. Ecuador, who defeated hosts Brazil 4-2 to reach the semi-finals, are now a battle-hardened line-up and will be tough to beat in an arena where they have already notched up two victories.
Jamaica's starting team: Dwayne Kerr (GK,13), Damaine Thompson (18), Ajuran Brown (5), Troy Smith (19), Obrian Woodbine (12), John-Ross Doyley (16), Ricardo Cousins (7), Edward Campbell (11), Eric Vernon (8), Kaemmar Daley (9), James Thomas (10).
Only Ecuador stand in the way of gold.
