Chihuahua, Mexico - Jamaica's Senior Women's football team kicks off its Olympic dream today against hosts Mexico at the Estadio Olimpico Benitez Juarez, starting at 5:30 pm (7:30 Jamaican time).

In the curtain-raiser, Caribbean neighbours, Trinidad & Tobago, tackle Canada in Group B action.

Coach of the Senior Reggae Girlz squad, Brazilian Alfredo Montesso (left), speaks with members of the team at a practice session in Mexico yesterday, ahead of today's Olympic qualifier against the host country. (Photo: Howard Walker)

The Reggae Girlz are drawn in Group A alongside Mexico and the top-ranked team in the world, United States of America (USA), who incidentally are sharing the same hotel with the Jamaicans.

Yesterday the Girlz were relaxed and oozed confidence about qualifying for their first Olympic Games in August.
Technical director, Rene Simoes, gave the girls a pep talk about mental toughness and it seemed to work after they had earlier seemed apprehensive on their way to Mexico.
After travelling from Jamaica to Miami, then Dallas and El Paso at the Mexican border, Simoes gave them a refresher's course in psychology.

"Come girls, you can't look so tired, Beijing is far away. You have just started," he said as the players gathered around him at the El Paso airport.

"Sometimes you have to shake them up to make them realise what they want and came for. They started singing, dancing and are very focused," he later told the Observer.
Head coach, Charles Edwards, acknowledged the task is a difficult one, but said the team had a plan.

Said Edwards: "Our approach is to win two games. We know we can beat Mexico and once the application is right and we remain confident and positive and once we beat Mexico, we'll not be worrying about the USA because we would be in the second round.

"Now when we get to the semi-final, the important thing is to win and that will qualify us for the Olympics. Our main aim is to win two games - the first and the semi-final," he added.

The last time Jamaica played Mexico was on November 26 in the Gold Cup third-place playoff, which they lost 0-3.
Only Venecia Reid, Natalya Manyan, Omolyn Davis, Yolanda Hamilton and Christina Murray from the current squad took part in that encounter.

Today's team will see Nikkesshi Thomas in goal with Manyan, Hamilton, Stacy-Ann Johnson and Janice Rennalls in defence.

Captain Tanesia Vassell, Alicia James, Davis and Jodi-Ann McGregor will play in midfield, while Reid will start up front and should be partnered by Tashana Vincent, pending a late fitness test.

Jamaica got to the CONCACAF final qualifying round after dismissing their Caribbean opponents in style. The Reggae Girlz scored 27 goals in five games without conceding any.
In October, Jamaica blanked Bermuda 4-0, Antigua & Barbuda 12-0 and Dominica 8-0 in the first stage before brushing aside Cuba 3-0 on aggregate in the second stage.