From Orin Davidson
in New York
Guyana made a quiet start in the New York Digicel Caribbean Cup football tournament featuring 12 representative teams of several West Indian islands along with Colombia and Dominican Republic when they played to a goalless draw against Haiti at the Jefferson High School ground in Brooklyn recently.
A number of former Georgetown Football Association first division players and a few former national players are rolling back the years for the side representing the Golden Arrowhead as they seek top honours in the tournament with new sponsorship from Digicel, the popular mobile phone company.
Former Western Tigers striker Christopher Giles is Team Guyana’s captain and he will rely on the experience of Roger Cambridge, who played with semi-final outfit Brooklyn Knights, in the USL third division, along with Jermaine Scott, Sherwin Henry among other recognizable names, to overcome the challenges from regional football heavyweights Jamaica and Team Colombia in the preliminary round.
The one point from the draw against Haiti placed Guyana in joint fourth position with Barbados and St Vincent.
The Guyana team will aim to improve its position tomorrow against St Lucia in its second game.
Guyana’s manager Karl Young expects them to step up their performance as the team progresses in the round robin stage.
“It is early in the competition so the best is yet to come”, he said.
Jamaica leads the points table on goal difference after hammering Colombia 5-0 last Sunday.
A hat-trick from Roland Dean lifted Jamaica to the biggest win of the five matches played so far.
Romario Campbell and Jermaine Hoe added the other two goals.
In other matches, Antigua outplayed Dominica 2-0 through goals from Jari Jackson and Kelly Fredericks while St Vincent and Barbados drew 0-0.
Jamaica, Antigua and the Dominican Republic have three points each.
Guyana, Haiti, Barbados and St Vincent have one point each while Colombia and St Lucia trail in the cellar.
Guyana grouped with Jamaica, Colombia, St Lucia and the Dominican Republic in the 12-team competition, will have to finish among the top two teams to advance to the playoffs in August.
The four qualifiers will contest a round robin series from which the finalists will be determined.
In other matches set for tomorrow, Trinidad and Tobago will open their campaign against St Kitts/Nevis while Jamaica will face the Dominican Republic.
