WATCH OUT!
McClaren warns against complacency as Boyz take on St Vincent in Gold Cup qualifier
Steve McClaren, Jamaica’s senior team football head coach, has cautioned his players against underestimating St Vincent and Grenadines ahead of this evening’s Concacaf Gold Cup qualifying first-leg match.
The contest is to be played at Arnos Vale in St Vincent and Grenadines, starting at 6:00 pm Jamaica time.
The return fixture is set for Sabina Park in Kingston on Tuesday, starting at 7:00 pm.
Jamaica’s Reggae Bozy are ranked 63rd in the world, while St Vincent and Grenadines are ranked at 173rd.
Despite the huge gap between the teams in ranking, McClaren insists that the Reggae Boyz must be fully prepared for the challenge.
“It [preparation] is very good. We got the squad together and completed it on Tuesday, so we have had three days of preparations and we are expecting a very tough first game,” McClaren said. “We have watched them a lot over the last five, six games and they have prepared well. They have some good players that can hurt you, so we have stressed to the team that this is not going to be easy.”
The British-born McClaren noted that he has learned that no game in the Concacaf region is straightforward.
“What I have realised in my six months in the Caribbean is that there are no easy games. They are all different and tomorrow (today) will be the same. We just have to adapt, accept, and win,” he said.
McClaren stressed that this encounter is crucial for the Jamaicans and therefore will be going allout for all three points in today’s game.
“The big danger is complacency. The big danger is coming here and thinking it will be an easy game, and it won’t be. That’s the preparation. From what I have seen, they certainly look better than a 173 ranking or whatever they are, but we will find out, and it is up to us.”
The Reggae Boyz will be at full strength, with key players returning to the squad after missing their last outing against the United States.
“We have brought over a very strong squad, leaders back into the team. We didn’t have Ethan [Pinnock], we didn’t have Bobby [Reid] against the US, and they are two of our strong personalities and strong leaders on the field,” McClaren said.
“We missed them and now we have them back. We also have Demarai Gray, Leon Bailey, Shamar Nicholson, Richard King — who has been doing well in the Caribbean Cup — and Andre Blake. It is a strong squad and I expect us to prepare properly and do the business.”
Defender Pinnock echoed his coach’s sentiments, highlighting the importance of maintaining the right mentality.
“The mood is positive. It is always a good time when you are in camp, you can have your laughs and jokes, but when it is training time, everybody knows that they need to buckle down,” Pinnock said.
“We are not too focused on their ranking. We go into every game with the same mindset, which is what we can do to win and what we need to do to win,” he added. “Every day in training, we have been working towards that, so we are looking forward to it. Everybody has a positive mindset. It is not going to be an easy game, so we have to implement our plan.”
