Defending The Office
Reggae Boyz aware of importance of result at National Stadium
NATIONAL SENIOR men’s football team captain Andre Blake is urging the Reggae Boyz to go out and defend their home turf by beating the United States in their FIFA World Cup Qualifier at the National Stadium today.
The Reggae Boyz will enter today’s encounter desperate for a victory to improve their chances of qualifying for their second FIFA World Cup finals.
The Jamaicans, who are coming off a 1-1 draw in El Salvador on Friday, are in sixth place in the eight-team final round, with six points from seven games, five points off fourth-place Panama.
Blake said all players are aware of what is at stake against the Americans today, and promised they will be coming out firing on all cylinders at the National Stadium, more commonly called ‘The Office’ at the height of Jamaica’s successful qualifying campaign in 1998.
“The key is going to be defending our home turf and nobody comes here and leaves with any point, and we just need to have that clear in our heads and whatever it takes, we just have to go out there and get the job done,” Blake said. “We just need to jump on them from early and make them know that it is going to be a long night.
“It is going to be very tough and one that players should definitely look forward to, and it is going to be a challenge but we have to remember that this is our home and we need to play like it and make them uncomfortable.”
The Reggae Boyz gave up a 90th-minute goal to El Salvador, scored by Alex Roldan, after striker Michail Antonio had given the Jamaicans the lead in the 82nd minute with his first international goal.
It halted Jamaica’s quest for back-toback wins in the competition.
Blake said that they were all disappointed with the draw because they should have got all three points. But he says they have moved on from that game.
“It has definitely left a bitter taste in our mouths and we definitely have to use that bitter taste to fuel us and to motivate us to go on Tuesday and get all three points,” Blake said.
“We are still in. It might seem that we are not because we have seven games to go and five of them are at home and two on the road. We have played the harder part of the schedule already and I think that a lot of people don’t realise that, so the onus is now on us to find a way to win at home, and if we can win our home games then we can really put ourselves in a spot to qualify.”