Thomas

MIAMI, Florida:

The Reggae Boyz, faced with a situation to win or go home, will make several changes to their starting 11 for tonight's crucial clash against El Salvador at the Florida International University at 9 (8 Jamaica time).

Canada and Costa Rica will meet in the opening match at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. Jamaica time) and the Jamaicans are hoping for a Canadian victory, which would boost their faint hope of moving on to the next stage.

Shavar Thomas, just confirmed in the 20-man tournament roster, walks right in the starting team as sweeper, while exciting wide midfielder Jamal Campbell-Ryce is also poised to get his first start, replacing the dangerous Jermaine Johnson.

"Shavar will definitely start tomorrow," Theodore Whitmore, the Reggae Boyz coach, pointed out on the eve of the match yesterday. "That will even give us depth to push someone else in attack, probably Campbell-Ryce, Whitmore added."

With Thomas at centre half, Tyrone Marshall looks set to be pushed into the central midfield slot, following the ineligibility of Rodolph Austin, who was red-carded in Jamaica's last game.

Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts will maintain his place between the sticks, as well as Claude Davis and Damion Stewart at the back.

defensive responsibilities

Jason Morrison will regain his starting place in midfield, while Campbell-Ryce appears set to start ahead of Jermaine Johnson, who has been bogged down with defensive responsibilities in the previous matches of this tournament.

Johnson ripped El Salvador, ranked 90th, to pieces in a 0-0 draw in a friendly international in Washington, DC, on May 28, but Whitmore says he will use him off the bench and give him a free run in attack against the Salvadorans.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce

Ricardo Fuller, Luton Shelton and Omar Cummings headline the attack. The Jamaicans' main problem though has been scoring in this tournament, as they have failed to convert any of their chances despite outperforming their opponents.

Now they are at the crunch and need goals to survive.

"It's a must-win situation," noted Whitmore. "It's very unfortunate, we're not playing all that bad and we're not playing 100 per cent, but we're still creating goalscoring opportunities better than our opponents but we're just failing to get the ball in the back of the net.

"I only hope tomorrow's game will be somewhat different in that all of those chances that we missed during the Canada and the Costa Rica games, we can put them away tomorrow," he added, of the games they lost 0-1.

The Jamaicans are at the foot of the four-team group standings without a point. Canada, with six points, lead the group while Costa Rica and El Salvador, with an identical 2-2 scoring record (0 goal differential), are tied for second with three points.

There are three groups with four teams each and the top two countries from each zone are guaranteed a spot in the quarter-finals, that will include eight teams. The other two spots will go to the two top third-place teams.

third place

A win over El Salvador would lift Jamaica to three points also, which automatically places the Boyz in contention for a third-place spot.

Ideally, the perfect equation for the Reggae Boyz would be victory by two goals of more against El Salvador, combined with a Canadian victory over Costa Rica.

Jamaica, ranked 75th, now have an inferior goal difference, but a winning margin of at least two goals would lift them clear of El Salvador, who have scored more goals.

If Jamaica win by one goal they would end with a goal difference equivalent (-1) to the Salvadorans, who have scored more goals.

File

Shavar Thomas recently called to the squad is expected to anchor the Jamaican defensive unit today.

Campbell-Ryce

Morrison

Shelton

Jamaica vs El Salvador likely starting eleven

Ricketts

Marshall

Davis

Phillips

Gardner

Fuller

Cummings