Whitmore making no excuses for loss
Published:Sunday | October 10, 2021 | 12:06 AMDaniel Wheeler - Staff Reporter
Senior national men’s football team head coach Theodore Whitmore said personal issues in the team were no excuse for the 2-0 loss to the United States of America (USA) in FIFA World Cup qualifying on Thursday.
The Reggae Boyz were beaten at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, by a brace from Ricardo Pepi in the 49th and 62nd minutes.
The result kept Jamaica on one point and at the bottom of the eight-team table.
Jamaica’s preparations were hampered, with key players such as Ethan Pinnock, Liam Moore, and Michail Antonio pulling out within days of the fixture due to injuries and personal reasons.
When asked if the personnel issues affected the approach to the game, Whitmore said in the post-game press conference that the focus was more about the players he had, and not who was absent.
“We have gone past that,” he told reporters. “We had 20 players tonight and the focus was on the 20 players, not those who were not here. Unfortunately, the result didn’t turn out the way we wanted it, but we just have to keep digging and look forward to the game on Sunday.”
While the game remained goalless at half-time, it only took four minutes into the second half for the United States to take the lead, with Pepi finishing off a great move from Yunus Musah and Sergiño Dest.
The defence never recovered, with Whitmore and defender Adrian Mariappa both acknowledging how cheaply they gave away the goals, having now conceded eight in the last four matches.
“The first half was a good tactical display from us, and like I said, we created our own undoing in the second half,” Mariappa said at the press conference. “Playing against a good side, you allow that space and time, you can get punished, and that’s what happened. Obviously, we have to be at it for 90 minutes.”
With Jamaica facing a critical game against Canada tomorrow, with Whitmore’s future on the line, Mariappa says that their campaign can still be salvaged and he is still confident that they can turn their form around.
“There are plenty of games left,” he said. “A lot of points to play for. Obviously, we want to get as many points as early as we can. It is a long road ahead and we know what we are capable of doing. Obviously, still full of confidence and looking to put it right in the next game.”