Reggae Boyz assistant coach Bradley Stewart (left) gives an attentive eye to members of the national squad during theirtraining session at St George's College recently, ahead of their friendly international against Argentina tomorrow night. - Ricardo Makyn

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina:

It didn't matter that the Reggae Boyz are here to play against their national team. As they emerged from thebus on their way back from training, man, woman and child, young and old gathered by the hundreds to greet the Jamaicans in front of the Hermitage Hotel where they are based in Mar Del Plata, Argentina, yesterday.

From a hug, for a real camera moment, down to a handshake, or even a touch, it seemed anything would do for the natives of the football-mad country against whom Jamaica's Reggae Boyz will do battle in a friendly international football match at the José Minella Stadium at 10:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. Jamaica time) tomorrow.

Though surprised, the Boyz duly obliged under the watchful eyes of the police and security personnel, as they made their way through the thick, but happy crowd.

soaking up the moment

One of the players even had time to joke that goalkeeper Dwayne Miller was soaking up the moment too much, "posing for too long instead of just taking each picture and moving on quickly".

Jamaica Football Federation president, Captain Horace Burrell - who was one of the first making his way through the crowd - wasn't complaining, no one was.

Such lovely greeting was a real nice letdown to a hard training session the Boyz had to endure on a cool evening that had left head coach Theodore Whitmore somewhat pleased.

"Yesterday, we had a nice little blowout, a good training session. The players showed a lot of effort, a lot of enthusiasm," he noted of their first practice on Sunday, barely an hour after a near 26-hour journey by plane and bus.

"This evening we saw a more game-like situation training session and it has gone down well," Whitmore added. "We wanted to keep possession of the football and we wanted to close down our opponents more quickly and try to be more compact."

Were you pleased?

"In some sort of way - It was 11 against seven, but I'm somewhat pleased. Not all the areas we were satisfied with. Some of the areas we will walk through it tomorrow."

Specifically, the coach seemed most concerned about their transitional play, something that was not easily simulated due to the travelling numbers of an 18-man squad.

"I guess in midfield," Whitmore said, noting his concerns. "I guess because we didn't have a lot of players in midfield, we got the football and just broke away, I don't want that; and the defensive area, I don't think we came up quick enough in transition."

With a training session remaining this evening and another light one scheduled for the morning of the matchday, the coach wasn't quite ready to list his starting 11. But if the line-up in bibs is an indication, then goalkeeper Miller should start with Shavar Thomas, Jermaine Taylor and Adrian Reid his shield; backed up by Rodolph Austin, Richard Edwards, Lovel Palmer, Keammar Daley and Navion Boyd; operating behind Omar Cummings and Ryan Johnson.

Coach Theodore Whitmore - File