“Play simple and if you get a chance to go up for corners, make use of it.”
According to Damion Lowe, scorer of Jamaica’s second goal against Puerto Rico in their opening game of the CONCACAF Under-20 World Cup Championship in Puebla, Mexico on Tuesday evening, that was the advice of his father, former Reggae Boy Onandi Lowe.
Towering at 6ft 4 inches, young Lowe, playing at centre half, did just that, scoring in the 62nd minute to allay Jamaica’s fears.
With the scores tied at 1-1, Jamaica got a corner and the young Lowe ventured forward. But, of course, the Puerto Rican defenders weren’t aware of his father’s advice, and he was left unmarked to ghost in and sidefoot home.
With his first competitive goal for Jamaica, Damion is some distance off his father’s tally of 27 goals, but he was ecstatic when asked how he felt becoming a father-son combination to score for their country.
“Great, exceptionally well. It’s a great, great feeling,” he emphasised, while outlining his father’s influence on his football career.
“Like 100 per cent. We have a close relationship,” revealed Damion. But just like his father, Damion is versatile and can play several positions.
As a youngster at Vaz Prep School, he utilised his height advantage in banging in 27 goals and leading his school
to victory.
Bu one day while at Camperdown High School, and playing in the Under-14 competition, a teammate got injured and he deputised that day in defence and has not moved since.
“I don’t know, it’s just natural. One day in Under-14 at Camperdown, a player got injured and the coach said my daddy used to play centre back, so I have the potential and from there on I continue right through,” said Lowe.
“I prefer centre back because it is my strongest point and I see the game more and if I make a mistake I can recover,” he added.
After starring for Camperdown High in the Manning Cup, the young Harbour View player took up a scholarship at the University of Hartford last year.
“Life is good there, they take care of us and I feel welcomed. The environment is very good. The transition was pretty hard in food, culture, time span, but after a month or two, you get to understand the system and adapt to certain stuff in and around the environment,” he noted.
But young Damion is aware of the inevitable comparisons with his father, the high expectations and enormous pressure to live up to.
“I don’t call it pressure, I just call it high expectation like people are looking for great things from me. I don’t think anyone is going to pressure me if I am not as successful as he was,” said Lowe.
He continued: “I don’t think I will get any critics, but I really want to keep those high expectations and I am pushing forward to make things happen and to become successful and even more than him.”
Lowe, who plays for Reading United in the Premier Development League (PDL), also represents Harbour View, and he is hoping to secure a professional contract in the future.
He is a big fan of both Manchester United and Real Madrid, and he cites Brazilian defender Lucio, Italian Giorgio Chiellini and Harbour View’s Christopher Harvey as his favourite players.