REGGAE BOYZ coach Steve McClaren anticipates a very different game when Jamaica take on Guatemala for the second time in a week, in their opening Group C match of the Concacaf Gold Cup at Dignity Health Tennis Center in California at 9 p.m. today.
The Reggae Boyz dispatched the Guatemalans 3-0 in their Group E, second-round World Cup Qualifier on Tuesday.
However, McClaren noted that the circumstances are very different, and he expects a much more difficult challenge from the Central Americans today.
“It’s going to be a difficult game. We knew that watching them, previous to playing them last week. A tough opponent.
“We played very well against them in the home game. But maybe we caught Guatemala at a good time because they had already qualified, and made some changes.
“But we took advantage and beat the team we had to beat. But tomorrow (today) it will be a completely different game. That is what we expect. It is 0-0. So we will have to do it all over again. It will be a tough game.”
He pointed out that despite the familiarity with the opponents, they will prepare as they normally do for any game. However, he said the key is respecting their opponents, no matter how big or small.
“We make sure we respect the opponent, which we did before the (last) game. We respect them even more now because we know the potential that they’ve got.
PLAYERS RESPECT
“We know the people that they have to come in as well. So it is a case of respecting and making sure that the players respect not just each other, but the rules and the opponent.”
Jamaica have made it to four of the last five Gold Cup semi-finals, including two finals, and McClaren said the objective is to maintain their very high standards in the tournament, and even go all the way this time.
However, he said it’s important they start with a good performance and three points.
“The team is here to win. We are here to do well. And to do that we must start well tomorrow (today). We must collect three points, and that will be a great start.
“We know it is hard. But every game is hard. But you go through it, and at the end it is worth the suffering. So we are totally focused on doing the job again. That is the thing with it, we have to do it all again. And we have to start the tournament well and make sure we get three points, and then move on to the next game,” he said.
He added that it is pleasing to have central defender Ethan Pinnock and striker Michail Antonio, who has recovered from his car accident, back in training with the squad
“We have developed the squad over the last three weeks, from the UK (Unity Cup) squad to the World Cup-qualifying squad, and we have added a couple more.
“It is great to see Ethan Pinnock with us, and even better to see Michail Antonio, both training this (Sunday) morning.
“It improves our squad and the strength of it. We have got competition for places and that is what you want as a head coach, to make sure that there is competition in training and make training as hard as the games, which is difficult, but hopefully we’ve done that. But we must not be complacent tomorrow (today). It will be hard work to win again,” he stated.
In 19 meetings between the teams, Jamaica hold the superior record with 12 wins and four draws. While the Guatemalan have registered just three wins against the Caribbean side.
Between 1998 and 2012, the Reggae Boyz went 11 games undefeated against the Central Americans, which included six straight wins from 2005-2012.
The last time the Reggae Boyz lost against Guatemala, was in a World Cup-qualifying game in 2012, to break an 11-game winless run against the Reggae Boyz.
However, since then the Reggae Boyz have won two of their three meetings, with the other game ending in a draw.
livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com
