Reid optimistic about beach soccer draw

Captain Andre Reid says that Jamaica's Beach Soccer team got what he describes as a good draw ahead of its CONCACAF Beach Football Championship in February.

The Jamaicans have been drawn in Group A with hosts Bahamas, Belize, and Guyana, and Reid says that he and his teammates have the advantage of being familiar with these teams from playing them in the past.

"We played Belize in qualifying and we won that game," he says.

"Guyana is a team we played already in a competition in Trinidad. We beat that team also, but it's a pretty young team from about two years ago. So we know they're supposed to be coming with something different this time around.

"Bahamas should be a really good game. We played them about three or four times overall. They have only ever beaten us once. This was in the last qualifiers. We went there a couple years ago when they were opening their stadium. We beat them there - we beat them all over the place - but in the last qualifier, they beat us, so this should be a really good game for us.

MANAGEABLE GROUP

Reid continued: "But the group is a very good group, and, trust me, we can manage this group. We should definitely go through in this group. We are Jamaicans - [we have a] never-say-die attitude."

Reid says that despite not being in training, he always warns his teammates to do their own training whenever they can to keep sharp, focused, and mentally ready before the team is called together.

"It's the little things you do on your own that make you a better player," he says.

Reid says that he is expecting the team of 30 to be called by head coach Andrew Price by the end of the week and he says that Price will have a few tough choices to make.

"It's harder to pick beach soccer players from the normal grass players because with beach soccer, you need players with good-quality balance. But he's working on naming a squad this week, though. You should hear something soon."

Jamaica's first game in the championship takes place on February 20 against Belize.

The champion and the runner-up of the competition will join host Bahamas as the three CONCACAF teams at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in April.

- R.P.