Rudolph Austin

After sitting out the Jamaica-Honduras qualifier Rudolph Austin returns to the squad for this crucial qualifier.

While not playing long in a professional environment, Rudolph Austin is a model professional. While naturally gifted, he works hard at his game seeking every time to improve. Had it not been for injuries, this Clarendon native would have been a fixture in the national team and would have been secure in a professional contract abroad and most likely England. Austin is capable of filling a position anywhere in midfield or in defence, but now appears most comfortable in a defensive midfield role, one which Jamaica has been struggling to find a successor to the likes of the late Peter Cargill and Fitzroy Simpson.

He is a strong fearless tackler who packs a rasping shot from both open play and from the dead ball. Local clubs have paid for committing the sins of fouling his teammates from the region of about 25 to 30 yards from goal. He has also shown his class striking from distance for the national team.

He first came to the attention of the Jamaican masses playing for the country's Under-20 team where he formed an almost impregnable defensive partnership with Jermaine Taylor. Though injuries have robbed him of good chunks of playing time in the past, he has rallied back with a vengeance. And while Jamaica's current low ranking is deferring his dream of playing professionally in England, with Stoke City having no less than two work permit applications for him turned down, he still fights on.

If more local-based players had his attitude and desire, then success in the game nationally and internationally would not be a matter of chance. It would be guaranteed.

FACT FILE

Name: Rudolph Austin

Date of birth: June 1, 1985

Position: midfielder/defender

Current club: SK Brann

FC (Norway)

Caps: 17

Goals: 1

Achievements: Under-20,

Under-23 caps

Wily forward

While not a particularly young player, 26-year-old Omar Cummings is largely unknown is his own country, having not played a lot on home soil in the last five years.

The forward who stands at about five feet 10 inches played for Johnathan Grant in the Manning Cup before joining his mentor Bradley Stewart at Duhaney Park. He also played under Stewart's leadership at Rivoli in the National Premier League.

In the year 2000, he earned a late call-up to the country's Under-20 team then preparing for their historic competition in the 2001 World Youth Championship in Argentina. While impressing, he was not chosen as the coaches did not want to disturb the already established chemistry in the squad. He was born and raised in Old Harbour and is a cousin to fellow national players Wolry and Rafe Wolfe as well as Kemeel who represents Harbour View in the National Premier League.

He was drafted to the MLS in 2007 by the Colorado Rapids.

Cummings was due to make his national debut In June when Technical Director René Simoes invited him for a series of friendlies prior to the World Cup qualifiers against the Bahamas on June 15 and 18, but club commitments ruled him out.

He impressed on his belated debut which had Simoes singing his praises, especially for his movement on and off the ball.

Omar Cummings

FACT FILE

NAME: Omar Cummings

DOB: July 13, 1982

Position: forward

Current Club: Colorado

Rapids

Previous Club: Duhaney

Park, Rivoli United

Caps: 2

Goals: none

Debut: July 26, 2008 against El Salvador