Ja going for vital win

By Audley Boyd, Staff Reporter

BUENOS AIRES:

JAMAICA'S Under 20s will be putting their all into winning today's Group A contest against Finland, to try and seal a place in the next round of the FIFA Youth World Football Championship.

"It must be a victory for us," said Jamaica's coach Wendell Downswell after the team's final training session yesterday afternoon at the Boca Juniors Stadium.

"We're looking forward to winning this game, this is our chance of advancing to the next round. By virtue of us winning we would almost guarantee ourselves a place in the next round. We won't wait until the last game against the host country to get that important point or points to go forward," he said.

The Jamaicans drew their opening game 0-0 against Egypt and a win would give them four points and a solid chance of winning one of two spots guaranteed competitors in this quadrangular first phase play-off to advance to the Round of 16. The best four third-place team among the six groups, will make up the second-round complement.

Jamaica's contest is set to start at noon Jamaica time.

Finland made a poor start, losing 0-2 to the tough hosts - who are considered home and dry for the top spot in the group - in Sunday's round and given their pointless position, their coach, Kari Ukkonen, has said it will be all or nothing.

"I'm sure that the players don't expect an easy match. It will be like a Cup final that both teams would like to have the points. That's the main context of the match. It will be tough for us," Ukkonen said yesterday.

The players went through an hour-long quarter-field scrimmage full of vibe, energy and purpose in warmer conditions yesterday.

Goalkeepers Allien Whittaker and Allan Reid had a very busy day as the players, led by Adam Wallace, Fabian Dawkins, Damion Williams, Woolry Wolfe, Khari Stephenson and Sheldon Battiste, displayed good, strong kicking as hardly a shot went wide in the 4-3 contest.

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