2 months ago
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REGGAE BOYZ’s head coach has a simple plan for the second round of the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers that features games against the British Virgin Islands and Guatemala: win.
Jamaica are scheduled to take on the British Virgin Islands on June 7 in an away fixture before playing hosts to Guatemala on June 10 at the National Stadium.
The two fixtures will close out the Reggae Boyz’s Group E games, where they sit second, level with group leaders Guatemala, who boast a better goal difference.
Speaking at a press conference while announcing his squad for the upcoming games, McClaren said the objective will be to gain all six points on offer and finish atop the group.
McClaren praised the team for its performance at the recently concluded Unity Cup and stated that he is looking for them to build on that performance in the World Cup Qualifiers.
“From the beginning of the week to the end, the players were exemplary with their work,” he said.
“We want to carry that on to the World Cup Qualifiers, and the obvious goal for this is to continue this way of playing and to get better at that. The key is to win the two games, without a doubt, and then gain momentum going towards the Gold Cup.”
While McClaren has been pleased with the players available to him, he admitted he would have preferred more depth in his midfield options.
“We’ve got other players coming into the midfield, but am I satisfied with that? No,” he said.
“If we get injuries in that area then we’ll need greater depth. We have that depth in a majority of areas, but in terms of the names and the depth, then no, we haven’t, so we’re still searching and trying to get better in that area.”
Despite his concerns, the coach has praised the players who have been playing in his midfield and feels that they are good enough to play a role in ensuring that Jamaica walks away with all six points.
With the absence of Bobby Reid through injury, McClaren said Isaac Hayden, Jon Russell, and Kasey Palmer have proven that they are ready for the task.
“We’re always looking to improve. I’ve got to say Isaac Hayden has settled in very well and has showed his experience and maturity in the squad,” he said.
“I think one of the big pluses from the Unity Cup is the form of Jon Russell coming into that midfield. He came in our first camp, had troubles with his club and sorted them out and changed his position.
He continued, “It’s made Jon Russell a different player, more effective, and I think that’s a massive plus for us in terms of that.”
McClaren said for the team to build on the momentum gained from the Unity Cup, the incoming players will need to put in the work to match the energy shown in the last camp.
Of the 24 players selected for the Unity Cup, 16 have retained spots, five of whom are from the Jamaica Premier League.
The incoming eight players, including Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, and first-time call-up Tyreece Campbell are expected to boost the team’s overall competitiveness.
“I think we found a few little gems last week and a different way of playing. We’re still creating our build-up, and we still want to do that,” McClaren explained.
“That’s what I liked about last week in the two games. The wide players, the front players, the energy that they provided, the work rate, the ethic and the teamwork.
“So the ones coming into the squad, we’ll endeavour to show them how we’ve progressed our game,” he said.
“We’ve got to build on that this week going into these two games and the momentum into the Gold Cup.”
Reggae Boyz WCQ Squad
Goalkeepers: Andre Blake, Shaquan Davis, Jahmali Waite
Defenders: Richard King, Kyle Ming, Dexter Lembikisa, Amari’i Bell, Greg Leigh, Mason Holgate, Joel Latibeaudiere, Damion Lowe
Midfielders: Isaac Hayden, Kasey Palmer, Jon Russell, Ravel Morrison, Dwayne Atkinson
Forwards: Demarai Gray, Leon Bailey, Renaldo Cephas, Kaheim Dixon, Warner Brown, Rumarn Burrell, Romario Williams, Tyreece Campbell
English (US) ·