2 months ago
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FOLLOWING HIS team’s two outings in the recently concluded Unity Cup, Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McClaren praised the tournament, saying it exceeded his expectations.
The Reggae Boyz finished second in the four-team competition following a 3-2 semi-final win over Trinidad & Tobago on Tuesday and a 4-5 penalty defeat at the hands of Nigeria in the final yesterday.
Speaking after the games, McClaren praised both the competition and the fans for creating an atmosphere which he described as beyond his expectations.
“I think the experience was even way beyond what I thought it would be. The fans have been fantastic and unbelievable. What an atmosphere! Typical Jamaica, lively, energetic, and smiles on the faces.”
Jamaica had played a hard-fought match against the Nigerians in the final, tying the game 2-2 in regulation time before losing out in shootout.
McClaren said the players were left disappointed to not come away with the win after their hard work, but praised their fighting mentality nonetheless.
“The feeling is a little sad for them and sad for the players because, to work so hard and to lose with penalties, it was disappointing,” he said
“They looked after each other, instantly befriended each other, instantly had that vibe and that energy, and that’s what they’ve all done. Credit to the senior players because we had a lot of youngsters coming to the squad. So I’m so proud of all the players.”
McClaren will now turn his attention to selecting his squads for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers and the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Jamaica will be travelling to face the British Virgin Islands on June 7 before taking on Guatemala at the National Stadium on June 10 in World Cup qualifying action.
Following that, the Reggae Boyz begin their Group C campaign in the Gold Cup, slated to begin on June 16.
McClaren is expecting a major boost in player selections, as several of his key players, who were unavailable for the Unity Cup, will be returning to the national programme.
He said, if they build on the energy and experience gained from the Unity Cup, then he is confident the team will achieve their goals for the upcoming competitions.
“Now we’ve got bigger things,” he said
“We’ve got World Cup Qualifiers and we look forward to that.
“If the players that we couldn’t get for the Unity Cup come in with the same spirit and same work rate, we’ll certainly get the results that we’ll need to get.”
English (US) ·