DALLAS, Texas – Reggae Boyz Captain Andre Blake says his team is ready and raring to go for their Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinal showdown with the USA at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Sunday.

Match time is 8:30 pm. 

In the opening contest of the double-header, Costa Rica and Canada lock horns in a 6:00 pm kick off.

The winners of Sunday’s matches will progress to the semi-finals to be held Thursday in Austin. 

“I think the Boyz will be ready and nobody needs any motivation for this game,” said Blake. 

The Philadelphia Union goalkeeper says a lot of things could conspire against his team but says he and his mates are prepared to let their football do the talking. 

“We are not going to get anything from the referees, and the crowd is going to be against us. It’s not going to be easy, but our mind-set is right and it’s going to be a fight.

“We just have to go out there and grind it out. Again, this game doesn’t have to be pretty as long as we find a way to win. I think you are going to see some good football as the group continues to gel,” Blake said.

He said that the team possesses the quality to not only beat the USA, but to progress further in the tournament. 

“I have said it before that this is probably the most talented group we have had at the Gold Cup; we have strong guys and everybody here can play, we have quality, and you could see it in the games when we rotated players or when we made subs. 

“It’s important when you can make a sub and don’t miss a beat. It’s [internal competition] good for the group because now everybody has to bring their A game, or if you don’t perform, the next man behind you is waiting for his chance and you might not get another chance, so competition is always good and I think it can only make us better,” Blake reasoned. 

Looking at the USA players, the Boyz captain thinks “they are very good with the ball, and they can run”. 

“A lot of them have been playing at a very high level over the years, but I think we are strong defensively and we are quick up top. 

“They [USA] like to press you, so there could be a lot of space behind, so if they push numbers forward and we can be good with the ball, we can really exploit the space behind them. But let’s see if they take that approach,” Blake said. 

Sean Williams