Phillips

MIDFIELDER Demar Phillips was named as a late addition to Jamaica's squad for the Digicel Caribbean Championships yesterday.

The Reggae Boyz will launch their campaign tomorrow in a 7 p.m. game against Barbados.

Phillips was a member of the Jamaica starting 11 during the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying campaign, which ended recently as the team was eliminated at the group semi-final stage after finishing third, on goal difference, tied on 10 points with Mexico. Honduras won the group from which only two advanced.

In its last World Cup match, against Canada on November 19 at 'The Office', Phillips was very instrumental in the team's 3-0 victory as he had a big hand in two of the goals.

The busy left-sided midfielder, who sometimes plays at right back, played a defence-splitting pass for Luton Shelton to beat the Canadian goalkeeper and score the opening goal, then dribbled past two players, played a one-two with Marlon King and darted inside the penalty box where he was brought down, thus earning Jamaica a penalty. It was converted by King.

Relish opportunity

Phillips, who represents English Premiership team Stoke City, has not featured in the starting team of his English Premier League club and will relish the opportunity to play competitively.

He is one of two Reggae Boyz at Stoke City, the other being striker Ricardo Fuller, a starting 11 regular who notched his sixth goal of the weekend in his team's 1-1 draw with Hull City, for whom fellow Reggae Boy King scored.

The Jamaicans are drawn in Group A alongside Grenada, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, the only Caribbean country which advanced to the final stage of CONCACAF 2010 World Cup qualifying.

Jamaica's Boyz are eager to make up for their World Cup disappointment and have added several overseas-based players to their squad, including midfielders Andy Williams and Wolry Wolfe and defender Tyrone Marshall, who arrived yesterday afternoon.

The Boyz continued preparing for the championships at the National Stadium last night.