Boyz hang on to thread of hope ahead of Canada clash
THERE is strong belief among the Reggae Boyz that somehow they can still make it to Qatar next year for the Fifa World Cup Finals.
That’s the view of Head Coach Theodore Whitmore and veteran defender Adrian Mariappa ahead of today’s must-win game against a much improved and dangerous Canadian team which sits third in the eight-team table with six points, two adrift of leaders United States and Mexico.
For the Boyz to realise their goal of making it to their second-ever World Cup Finals appearance, Whitmore says this team must start winning from today, as it’s no longer just a matter of tagging along.
“Yes, definitely (there is still hope), “Whitmore responded, “because when you look at the standings (points) we basically have to start getting points, and three points on the board now. It’s not about one (point) any more, it’s about three points starting with the game this Sunday. If we want to get further in this qualification series, we need three points to give us the confidence going into the game against Honduras (on Wednesday)”.
For the seasoned Mariappa, there are still 10 games left to define their destiny.
“It’s plenty of games left and a lot of points to play for,” he said. “Obviously, we want to get as many points as we can on the board but there’s a long road ahead and we know what we are capable of doing, so obviously still full of confidence and looking to put it right the next game.”
Having managed to collect just a solitary point in the
September window of three qualifiers, following 1-2 and 0-3 losses to Mexico and Panama, respectively, and a 1-1 result with Costa Rica, Whitmore said the entire delegation was disappointed with the 0-2 loss to the young and highly talented US aggregation in Austin, Texas, last Thursday.
“Not only the players but the technical staff (as well), we are a bit disappointed, but all is not lost. We have played just four games — three of the games were away, tough games, so we are still focused, still remain resilient about the task at hand and we are moving forward,” the technical leader affirmed.
On Thursday the Reggae Boyz held the hosts 0-0 for the first 45 minutes, but were hit with the first of Ricardo Pepi’s brace three minutes into the second half. The youngster made the game safe with a somewhat similar finish, directing the ball home from six yards, the first with his head and the second with the right boot, thanks to lax defending.
“I thought we had a pretty decent first half in the game (against the US), but we lost our discipline, we lost our shape and we conceded early in the second half and I think from there it was an uphill task,” Whitmore reflected.
The Boyz are firmly rooted at the foot of the standings with one point, as US lead Mexico on goal difference with eight points, followed by Canada with six. Panama and El Salvador are next on five points, with Costa Rica and Honduras tied on three points each.
The top three teams at the end of the 14-game marathon advance to Qatar, with the fourth-place team earning an intercontinental play-off for a last chance at qualifying.