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News from the Caribbean as of
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Americans settle for 1-1 draw with Jamaica in World Cup tuneup
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
CARY, USA (AFP): The United States settled for a 1-1 draw with Jamaica here Tuesday in their final tuneup match before the Americans name their final 23-man roster for June's World Cup in Germany.
US captain Landon Donovan was off the mark on a free kick in the seventh minute of stoppage time as the American lineup of Major League Soccer players could not take advantage of 10-man Jamaica after 90 minutes.
The visitors went down a man when substitute Newton Sterling was stretchered off and unable to return.
Jamaica's Teafore Bennett opened the scoring in the fourth minute, taking a breakaway pass from Jermaine Hue and moving left to lure out US goalkeeper Tony Meola before an angled kick just inside the far post of the open goal.
US midfielder Ben Olsen equalized in the 25th minute, taking a free kick from captain Landon Donovan and running unchallenged into the goal area before firing in a shot off the hands of diving Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.
Josh Wolff appeared to give the US squad the lead in the 43rd minute but was whistled offside. Another near-miss for the hosts came in the 54th minute when Ricketts' deflected a Chris Albright header over the crossbar.
US goalkeeper Tony Meola, an 18-year veteran and three-time World Cup player, started to earn his 100th cap, becoming only the ninth US player to reach the century mark.
The Americans moved to 4-1 with two drawn this year and remained unbeaten against the "Reggae Boyz", having won nine and drawn eight.
The match was the first for the Americans since losing 4-1 to World Cup host Germany at Dortmund on March 22, although that US lineup lacked Donovan and several other top players.
US manager Bruce Arena will announce a pool of 35 players on Wednesday from which the final 23-man roster will be selected, likely before the US squad assembles here on May 10 for a two-week World Cup training camp.
Before departing June 2 for their World Cup home base in Hamburg, the US team will play home soil tuneup matches against Morocco on May 23, Venezuela on May 26 and Latvia on May 28.
US first-round group matches in Germany include June 12 against Czech Republic, June 17 against Italy and June 22 against Ghana.
USA: Tony Meola, Frankie Hejduk, Chris Albright, Eddie Pope, Landon Donovan, Pablo Mastroeni, Pat Noonan (John O'Brien 67), Ben Olsen, Steve Ralston (Clint Dempsey 55), Josh Wolff (Eddie Johnson 46), Taylor Twellman (Brian Ching 46)
Jamaica: Donovan Ricketts, Claude Davis (Demar Stewart 29), Garfield Reid, Omar Daley, Damion Stewart, Khari Stephenson (Oneil Thompson 71), Jermaine Hue, Jason Morrison (Dane Richards 60), Jason Campbell-Ryce (Fabian Dawkins 61), Teafore Bennett (Newton Sterling 62), Ryan Johnson (Jermaine Johnson 71)
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