When the samba rhythm starts to play

I think I am ununusual in wanting the home nations to join England at major tournament finals, so I found myself drawn to them this weekend where I actually watched a fair few of the qualifiers, and I will be tuning in tomorrow night to watch the Scots take on the Danes to see if they can qualify for their first World Cup since the Krankies were on our screens.

The Irish had a tremenduous result, any football fan unless you were Hungarian had to have enjoyed that on Sunday. I loved seeing Conor Coventry leading the chase of Troy Parrott down the pitch.

Coventry didn’t get on in that game but did get his first cap in the win over Portugal. He now has until March to keep up his club form to get selected in the play-off squad, which has to be good news for us.

Shout out to Micah Mbick who made his debut for England’s U20’s against Japan last week, and by all accounts registered an assist in the 1-1 draw.

Before I get onto the Jamaican lads, it’s a shame for Josh Edwards that the Scottish left side of defence is about the most experienced part of their squad, as an injury free Edwards would surely be close to being considered.

On Tuesday, Jamaica without Amari’i Bell but with Karoy Anderson, Tyreece Campbell and Kareim Dixon available, take on Curacao, the small Dutch Caribbean Island known more for it’s forts, cruise layovers and beaches than football.

Nonetheless I have watched them thrive in national competitions in recent years and a succession of managers starting with Patrick Kluivert and then Guus Hiddink really mined the Dutch leagues for players with roots to the former Dutch Antilles archipelago.

Dick Advocaat has a lot of very decent Eredivisie players available to him, and although the squad is aging I note there has been a number of young players that Advocaat has given caps too.

Steve McLaren is Jamaica’s head coach, a real clash of rolodex’s there between he and Advocaat, although the 78-year old Dutchman was reported today having left the Curacao camp due to “private issues.”

The Reggae Boys have to win the game and we’ll have to see if our Addicks’ lads get to start in front of a 35,000 sell out crowd.

QPR’s Rumarn Burrell has been preferred up front by McClaren, and TC who hasn’t scored for club or country since April, will compete with Birmingham’s Demarai Gray or Renaldo Cephas, who plays his football in Russia for a wide berth.

A TC goal tomorrow will be huge for his country still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, and massive for his confidence.

Good luck to the Jamaican’s, it would be great to see four Charlton players go to next year’s World Cup with them.