Jamaica's Young Reggae Girlz depart Jamaica today confident that they can give a good account of themselves

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Unlucky Girlz! Duo barred from C'Rica ahead of qualifier

Blaine eyes replacement for Canada game

BY SEAN A WILLIAMS Assistant Sport Editor

Thursday, March 11, 2010

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Bad luck continues to mar Jamaica's Under-17 women's team to the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament even before a ball has been kicked.

The Jamaicans are set to begin their qualifying series this afternoon against Group A rivals Canada at the Morera Soto Stadium here at 7:30 pm (8:30 pm local time) and will have a light training session this morning, with the emphasis on tactical details.

Jamaica’s Under-17 Reggae Girlz gather shortly after arriving in San Jose, Costa Rica, yesterday afternoon. (Photo: Sean Williams)
[Hide Description] Jamaica’s Under-17 Reggae Girlz gather shortly after arriving in San Jose, Costa Rica, yesterday afternoon. (Photo: Sean Williams)
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Yesterday, two of the players -- midfielder Shantel Bailey and defender Shanice Bowen -- were prevented from connecting with teammates from Miami to San Jose following a visa technicality.

The players were told by American Airport staff they could not allow them to board flight AA 937 because their three-month US visas did not conform to Costa Rican entry requirements.

It is understand that without a Costa Rica visas, travellers who are not eligible for visa-waiver status are required to have valid US visas for 90 days or more at the time of landing in the Central American country.

Bailey's and Bowen's visas, while valid in a true sense, did not meet the time required for landing privileges in Costa Rica. Airline officials therefore refused to check in the pair as they feared sanctions for allowing them to board.

Up to late last evening, Jamaica consulate officials in Miami were vigorously trying to work with those involved to find a favourable resolution to the situation, but with every passing hour, hope faded.

But the Observer has learnt that a high-ranking official of the Costa Rica football association had intervened in the matter and was said to have received assurances from immigration officials here that if the players got to Costa Rica, they would be granted local visas and admitted.

"The problem lies with America Airlines as they cannot release the players on an invalid time required for a visa to visit Costa Rica... right now it's not so much about the Costa Ricans, because we have been told by the lady from the Federation that if they get here, they could issue them three-month visas," said head coach Vin Blaine.

It is learnt that those working from the Miami end for the cause of the Jamaica, however, claimed airline officials refused to budge.

It was hoped the matter could be resolved so the two players and head of delegation Lorraine Scringer, who stayed back to assist with the matter, could make flight AA2141 out of Miami, the final American Airline flight to San Jose yesterday.

So bleak were the prospects last evening that plans were being considered to send the young women back to Jamaica.

But the situation in Miami was a serial to a six-hour delay in the Girlz's departure from Kingston on Tuesday as American Airlines flight AA 628 to Miami was delayed after the Boeing 737 developed a mechanical problems -- the very same equipment that overshot the runway at the Norman Manley International in driving rain last December.

That delay sent the wheel of unfortunate occurrences in motion as the Jamaica group of 16 players and five officials missed their connection from Miami to San Jose and had to overnight in Florida.

It is believed that if the group had travelled on their original schedule, there would be no need for re-checkins in Miami, therefore the problem with the players' visas would have been discovered in Costa Rica, a point at which it believed the situation would be more promising.

Meanwhile, Blaine expressed grave concern at the thought of not having the two, especially Bailey, who was to be a key player in his plans for the tournament.

"We had plans for at least one of them who would possibly be a starter in Shantel (Bailey). Right now the latest word we have got is not encouraging, but that's nothing if they can't get here... right now time is running out and I don't know how things are going to pan out," he lamented.

If Bailey and Bowen do not get to San Jose, the Florida-based duo of Alika Keen and Adrianna Johnson were due to arrive last night to bolster Blaine's team, though he would still be two players short of his 18.

"We have two girls coming in so it is how quickly they gel and how focused they will be. If these two girls (Bailey and Bowen) don't make it in later on (last night), that will influence how we approach the game, having said all of that everybody has to step up tomorrow (today) and put out 150 per cent," said Blaine.

Blaine was not be in a position to name a starting team last night, and pointed to this morning's training session which he deemed "crucial" in selecting the final 11.

"I am planning with going with five across the middle in a four-five-one formation, where we can counter their (Canadians) attacking moves as they tend to go wide, if they go down the middle, that would make it easier for us," he said.

The make-up of the team will see people playing different positions as we attempt to counter Canada. What is certain is that we have to put our best 11 on the field," explained Blaine.

And even with all that has transpired, Blaine believes that that will have little psychological impact on the Girlz, who he claims "just want to come out and play football".

"What I'm interested is to get them to concentrate from now and start thinking about what they have to do, knowing what they're going to come up against when they face the Canadians," he said.

Having played Canada in a four-team dress rehearsal in Trinidad just last week, Blaine believes his team should give a better display today.

"The Canada team is very strong, hard-running and very quick, so now we have a very good idea how they will come at us, so organisation and patience... is going to be key and we have to make sure that we don't give them that much time to play," he said.

"What they like to do is draw us to one side of the field and then make that big switch, so it is how quickly we close down that change that his going to be important."

Following the Canada match-up, Jamaica will turn their attention to Mexico on Saturday and close their campaign against Panama on Monday.

Last night, the USA swamped Haiti 9-0 in a Group B encounter in the first game of a double-header. Hosts Costa Rica and the Cayman Islands were due to play in a late game.

Jamaican squad -- Shauntae Brown, Teola Caine, Chris-Ann Chambers, Remona Hyde, Sh'nell Briscoe, Lotoya Duhaney, Davia Morrison, Shenika Williams, Shanese Bowen, Trudi Carter, Shantel Graham, Natani Tomlinson-Trail, Renee Freeman, Shantel Bailey, Shanise Foster, Tisha Campbell-Henry, Akila Keene and Adrianna Johnson.