Reggae Boyz Maliek Howell (left) and Geovanni Laing undergo coaching drills on Saturday at Anthony Spaulding Sports activities Advanced, forward of their worldwide pleasant match in opposition to Trinidad and Tobago on the similar venue on Sunday. (Photograph: Garfield Robinson)
AFTER securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago of their first of two worldwide pleasant matches on Thursday, Reggae Boyz Head Coach Steve McClaren is set to see his workforce ship one other robust efficiency at present at Anthony Spaulding Sports activities Advanced at 8:00 pm.
Jamaica gave its followers one thing to have fun with their win, and McClaren desires them to construct on that momentum.
“We’re happy with the win on Thursday, and we gave Jamaica a smile on the finish of the sport,” he stated. “I believe the followers have been all smiling, and their households have been too. I’ve stated to the gamers that, ‘Now now we have to repeat it.’ We need to come again to Kingston, and we expect a great crowd. We need to entertain, carry out properly, and win the sport.”
McClaren was agency in his perception that the squad assembled for these matches represents one of the best of Jamaican soccer. He dismissed any notion of the workforce being labelled as a ‘B’ or ‘C’ squad, reinforcing that each participant known as up is a key a part of the Reggae Boyz set-up.
“We have now stated to the gamers, ‘This can be a Jamaican Reggae Boyz workforce,’ “ he stated. “This isn’t a B workforce, or a C workforce, or a neighborhood workforce — it is a correct workforce and that is seniors. We don’t play friendlies. All people desires to beat Jamaica, and I believe Trinidad desires to beat us greater than a whole lot of different nations.”
He’s additionally urging his gamers to method the second match with the identical dedication they displayed within the first, noting the significance of sustaining a powerful mindset all through the sport.
“We have now to enter the competition precisely like we did on Thursday — with a fantastic angle, keep within the sport, keep stronger as the sport goes on, and win the sport,” he stated.
McClaren additionally acknowledged the problem of managing a 28-man squad however stays dedicated to giving as many gamers as attainable alternatives to contribute.
“We are attempting to incorporate everyone and provides individuals minutes, however it’s troublesome as a result of now we have 28 gamers,” he stated. “However, we did it on Thursday. We modified 9 or 10 gamers at common intervals, and I believe it labored. However everyone should be able to make an affect — whether or not they begin or come off the bench.”
