By Audley Boy, Assistant Sport EditorJAMAICA'S REGGAE Boyz will face a real test of character not to mention the chance to advance to the final round of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matches when they go up against the mighty United States at Columbus Crew Soccer Stadium tonight at 7:30.
Victory is their only assurance of advancing from the four-team semi-final Group One qualifying series and the Boyz, who have never beaten the United States, will have to do so if they are to be guaranteed a spot in the final round and a continuation of the Road to Germany campaign.
The United States, with an unassailable 11 points, have already won one of the group's two qualifying positions but the Jamaicans are not expecting any favours.
The Reggae Boyz are currently in second place on six points, one more than Panama and two better than bottom-place El Salvador.
A draw could still see them through but it would depend on El Salvador winning or tying Panama in their match, that is scheduled to kick off simultaneously in Panama.
However, the Jamaicans are intent on leaving nothing to chance.
"Basically we're all aware of what lies ahead of us. We don't want this to be our final game," midfielder and captain Theodore Whitmore told The Gleaner after a training session in Columbus, Ohio, ahead of the match.
He added: "We don't want to wait on the Panama-El Salvador game. We want to do our own thing and qualify."
The Jamaicans will not be at full strength as central defender Claude Davis will serve a one-match suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards; and midfielders Jermaine Johnson and Micah Hyde are injured.
TEMPERATURE EXPECTED TO DIP
They also have to contend with some amount of chill as the temperature is expected to dip to 47 degrees Fahrenheit around game time. That, though, is not expected to be a problem for the Boyz as virtually the entire starting team either plays in similar conditions in Britain or the just-concluded Major League Soccer tournament in the United States.
Despite this, the team has been outfitted with clothing by kit suppliers Uhlsport to ensure warmth and more importantly, head coach Sebastiao Lazaroni is psyching up his charges to block out those factors.
Commenting on both, Lazaroni said: "No complaints, no weather, no injuries. Let's go and try to play the game and respect the American team and try to qualify."
