BELIEVE!
BELIEVE! . Belief and bravery
The Jamaica Observer
Steve McClaren (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

As he prepares for his toughest task since his arrival, Reggae Boyz Head Coach Steve McClaren says the team will need to adapt their style of play when they take on the USA in the first leg of the Concacaf Nations League A quarter-finals at the National Stadium this evening, starting at 8:00 pm.

Since his appointment this summer, McClaren is unbeaten in his four games in charge with two wins and two draws to top their group in the Nations League and advance to the last eight.

However, the national senior men’s team will now have to battle one of the region’s powerhouse, a USA team buoyed by the arrival of former Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea Manager Mauricio Pochettino as head coach.

The Boyz are winless against the Americans in their last seven encounters including a 3-1 defeat in March of this year, where they led for over 90 minutes before the USA came storming back.

Although McClaren has urged the team to maintain a possession and attacking based style, he says they will have to adjust against the USA.

“I’ve watched the previous games [with the USA] and I don’t know what the possession stats were but [it wasn’t] very high for Jamaica but you don’t win football matches that way,” he said. “So we have to adapt every game to what we’re doing and I have to do as well because Concacaf is different. Playing Honduras, playing Nicaragua, playing Cuba; now USA will be totally different. I think you have your own principles but you also have to adapt but stick to what you do.”

“The other message is we have to be better on the ball, we have to make sure we have the belief, the confidence and bravery. When I looked at the last game, the US came very close; the only thing is that, yes, it was good, but we needed to keep the ball better because all the chances for the USA were transitions when Jamaica gave the ball away, so we have to be careful of that,” McClaren added.

With the return of star winger Leon Bailey to the squad, McClaren says he intends to use the wide play to break down the American defence.

“We’ve got talent in wide areas; we already knew about Kaheim, Leon, Demarai, Cephas, we’ve introduced Norman Campbell and we also have Magee that can play in that area, we have good wide players, good speed, good athleticism, that‘s one of our strengths. It’s no secret that’s something the USA will look at so we need to use that,” he said.

Jamaica’s last win against the USA was in 2019, a 1-0 win in an international friendly in Washington. In fact, the Boyz have only registered three wins in their 33 matches against the 2026 World Cup hosts with 20 defeats and 10 draws.

McClaren says they will need to overcome those mental hurdles to become one of the best in the region.

“This USA team have always got the better [of us] and it can make you say, ‘learn from that and come back stronger next time’ or ‘[we have] no belief, no confidence, we’ll never win against this team’; we don’t want that attitude,” he said.

“If we lose, no problem but we were that close the last time, so they’re getting closer. It’s only a matter of time, as long as we keep belief and confidence and not look at the opponent with fear but as a challenge. So I hope that’s what the players will look at the USA and say what a challenge this game is, because that’s what football’s all about because once you’ve got fear, you get inconsistency.”

Team News: Michail Antonio (suspension), Ethan Pinnock (injury) and Bobby Reid (personal) will miss the encounter while new recruit Isaac Hayden as well as the returning duo of Leon Bailey and Shamar Nicholson are in line to make the starting 11.

Squad



Goalkeepers: Andre Blake (captain), Jahmali Waite, Shaquan Davis

Defenders: Dexter Lembikisa, Tayvon Gray, Damion Lowe, Mason Holgate, Richard King, Di’Shon Bernard, Amari’i Bell, Greg Leigh.

Midfielders: Joel Latibeaudiere, Isaac Hayden, Karoy Anderson, Kasey Palmer, Tyreek Magee

Forwards: Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, Renaldo Cephas, Kaheim Dixon, Shamar Nicholson, Romario Williams
Jamaica
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https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2024/11/14/believe/
2024-11-14
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Belief and bravery
BELIEVE!