Nico Brown (left) challenges Renaldo Webster during a Jamaica Reggae Boyz training session at Sabina Park in Kingston on Thursday. Photo: JFF
THROUGHOUT Nico Brown’s professional career he’s never had the opportunity of playing international football. On Sunday he may finally get to, after being selected for Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz squad for their friendly against hosts Grenada.
The 27-year-old Brown is part of the national senior men’s team’s 24-man squad that landed in St George’s on Friday, ahead of the 4 pm kick-off on Sunday. The American-born defender, who plays for Lexington Sporting Club in the United Soccer League (USL), earned his first senior call-up in Rudolph Speid’s first squad as interim head coach as they prepare for the inter-confederation play-offs — Jamaica’s final push to qualify for this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
Fortune is on Brown’s side as the friendly against the Grenadians is outside the FIFA international window, which means most of the Reggae Boyz first-team stars are unavailable as their clubs aren’t obligated to release them.
He says he’s grateful to make the step up to the senior ranks.
“I’ve been blessed to have a passport and citizenship here, and I represented Jamaica at the U-17 level. [I] didn’t get too much leverage after that but [I’m] extremely happy to be down here for the senior call-up now,” Brown said.
“It’s been a challenging week. Everyone’s been working really hard and trying to come together collectively for one goal on Sunday against Granada so [it’s] very exciting to be down here with the group and try[ing] to integrate as much as I can, as quickly as I can, and I’m extremely grateful.”
Although it’s his debut call-up, Brown says he’s stayed connected with the team, particularly through some of his countrymen.
“[Goalkeeper] Amal [Knight] has been great; he’s a close friend of mine. We talked constantly at Lexington and even [during] the past year when I was away from Lexington. We talked constantly about JFF and Jamaica; we watched all the matches together as well, along with another one of our Jamaican friends there, and it’s been good to be close to a lot of people,” he said.
“I played against [forward] DeShane Beckford this year; [defender] Javain Brown I’ve talked [with] a little bit throughout the years; and, you know, other players have stayed involved so it’s been good to have that network within JFF and to continue moving forward together.”
Brown is hoping his new-found defensive abilities will be useful to the national team, going forward.
“I’ve been usually a winger growing up, and I think that… creates a dynamic defender within me naturally,” he said. “I think innately I have the ability to go up and down the field and have a lot of energy, and I have good one-versus-one ability, so being a winger gave me that skill. And then now at Forward Madison and at Lexington Sporting Club [for] the last two, three years, I’ve been a wing back so I’ve become more versatile in my game — and [that’s] something that I wish to bring to JFF and the system.”
There’s no guarantee Brown will play on Sunday but he knows it would be a dream come true.
“It would mean the world to me and my family. I’ve had a goal in mind and a goal since I’ve been a kid to reach this level and continue to forward my game, so it would mean the world to me. That’s just like an understatement right there — I couldn’t wait for it.”
The friendly is Jamaica’s first game of the year and could be one of the only games before they take on Oceania’s New Caledonia and potentially DR Congo in March for a spot at the World Cup.
SQUAD
Goalkeepers:
Amal Knight
Tafari chambers
Daniel Russell
Defenders:
Damion Lowe
Ronaldo Webster
Christopher Ainsworth
Kyle Ming
Stephen Young
Fitzroy Cummings
Jeovanni Laing
Nico Brown
Midfielders:
Jahshaun Anglin
Shamar Watson
Nickyle Ellis
Kevon Lambert
Dwight Merrick
Adrian Reid Jr
Forwards:
Cory Burke
Warner Brown
Nickalia Fuller
Dwayne Atkinson
Deshane Beckford
Jourdaine Fletcher
Daniel Green
