Theodore Whitmore - File

GEORGETOWN, Grand Cayman:

FOR health reasons mainly, Jamaica will be without its big guns when they line up against a Cayman Islands All-Star team, in one of two football matches at the T.E. McField Sports Complex at 7:00 this evening.

The opening encounter, which is set to kick off at 5 p.m., will feature an exhibition match among youth teams here.

The Reggae Boyz are in the Cayman Islands for a one-week training camp as they continue their preparation for the CONCACAF Gold Cup Finals, which will begin with a match against Canada at the Home Depot Centre in Los Angeles next week Friday.

They arrived on Tuesday, trained the same evening, yesterday morning and evening and are slated to practise the morning of the match.

training session

"We're going into the game as a training session but at the end of the day we want to get something out of it," said head coach Theodore Whitmore.

This match is one of two they will play in the Cayman Islands, but Whitmore will rest key players Ricardo Fuller, Luton Shelton and Claude Davis, who are very uncomfortable playing on artificial surface as it bothers their knees. In fact, it was noted that Shelton is rested by his club when it plays matches on astro turf.

Reggae Boy Luton Shelton will sit out today's game as a precaution.

"Claude Davis, Shelton and Fuller have a problem playing on the astro turf, so we've to look on the bigger picture," Whitmore observed after training at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex yesterday morning. "We don't want to go into tomorrow's (today's) game and put them at risk, we just want to keep them away. But they're going to put out some training in the morning so that in the evening they can relax and watch the game."

Additionally, striker Jermaine Johnson is serving a two-game suspension for picking up a red card in the country's previous international against Panama, which they won 3-2.

step up to the plate

"That's where our (other) players come in now, to step up to the plate and show what they really have."

Local-based Devon Hodges, Keammar Daley, Richard Edwards, Adrian Reid, Bryan Bayliss, Navion Boyd, Jerry Walters, Eric Vernon, Desmond Breakenridge and goalkeepers Dwayne Miller and Duwayne Kerr number among those looking to show their worth.

Importantly, it's their fat chance to seal a place in the Gold Cup squad.

"We want to look on a number of players like Jerry Walters, again, Bayliss (Bryan). It's a fairly new team so we want to give everyone a chance in tomorrow's game so that they can show themselves."

Hodges, the Premier League's MVP and top scorer and Daley, who earned the Top Junior Player of the season award, are ready for the challenge.

"When you work for something you get rewards," noted Daley, a 21-year-old midfielder with immense potential whose junior national career was highlighted by his scoring feats. "I'm getting another opportunity and looking to take it with both hands and score again because that's why I'm here today."

Hodges, at 24, has a dual, but similar perspective.

"In tomorrow's game we just have to go out and play good football and try to win the game," said the stocky forward who has won over admiration among his national teammates, not only because of his scoring potential, but the way he holds up and uses the ball.

He added: "Personally, I just have to go out and play good football and try to help win the game."