Reggae Boyz in US for crucial World Cup clash
JAMAICA’S COACHING and management staff jetted off the island yesterday morning en route to Austin, Texas, where they will be based for their Concacaf World Cup qualifier against the United States on Thursday.
Except for local-based players, recalled veteran Je-Vaughn Watson and Jeadine White, the Cavalier player whose big saves in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) final against Waterhouse on Saturday earned him a spot in the squad, the other players were scheduled to travel yesterday from their clubs that are based in the United States and Europe and join the rest of the Jamaica party by 11 p.m.
BETTER CONDITION
White replaced Dennis Taylor after the technical staff decided he is in better condition to play, having been involved up to the final stages of the JPL.
“He (White) is being rewarded for his hard work and performances up to and including the final,” the Jamaica Football Federation said in a press release.
In Thursday’s match, points will be crucial to the Jamaica team as they only have one from three games and lie bottom of the eight-nation standings. In the first FIFA qualifying window in September, the Reggae Boyz lost 2-1 against Mexico in Mexico City, 3-0 against Panama at the National Stadium in Kingston, and drew 1-1 with Costa Rica in San Jose.
All the teams will play each other in home-and-away fixtures, for a total of 14 matches, following which the top three will automatically advance to the Qatar 2022 World Cup Finals.
With 11 games remaining, Mexico head the standings with seven points, followed by the United States, Canada and Panama with five points apiece, while Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador have two points each.
Apart from the United States game, Jamaica will play two others in the October FIFA match window. They will return home to tackle Canada at the National Stadium on Sunday, before travelling to face Honduras on Wednesday, October 13.
The full Jamaica delegation in the United States consists of 23 players and 17 officials.
The team is scheduled to return to Jamaica on Friday.