Big task on a big day

AT THE very landmark when Jamaica created history by qualifying for the first and only time to a FIFA Men’s World Cup Final, with a 0-0 draw against Mexico on November 16, 1997, the nation will be involved in a crucial qualifier and seeking a position at football’s biggest showcase, at the same National Stadium.

This time, however, the stakes are a bit different, as well as expectations that history may yet inspire.

Given their lowly sixth position and that of the leading contenders in Concacaf’s Octagonal World Cup qualifying, Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz face one of those now or never moments when they tackle the United States today at the National Stadium at 5 p.m., knowing full well that any result other than the big W could mean elimination from the race for a spot at the Qatar 2022 Final.

“Everything is in our hands because we have a game to play and this US game, we have to get three points and that is where we are looking at the moment,” said Theodore Whitmore, Jamaica’s head coach and midfield maestro in the France World Cup team.

With six points from seven matches, the Reggae Boyz are already at least seven points outside the top three automatic qualifying spots and five below Panama, on 11 points, who occupy fourth spot, which ensures a second shot at Qatar in a Confederation play-off fixture.

Mexico, this time, are second on 14 points, by way of goal difference and Canada third on 13.

The United States are at the very top of the standings on 14 points and keen on wrapping up a World Cup spot at the earliest opportunity, stating their every intention of taking all three points off Jamaica in today’s fixture.

Unfortunately, for the Reggae Boyz, the schedule forecasts positive results for teams like Panama over El Salvador; and Costa Rica, even with several ageing stalwarts, over a bottom-place Honduras team that has not shown enough to suggest they can hold off a decent attacking threat.

Such situations, at times, invoke the sporting cliché – ‘the ball is round’ – which mirrors its truth in hope, more than uncertainty.

However, form, more than fiction, has played out in more than 90 percentage results in this eight-nation qualifier, where the Reggae Boyz have not fared well in two prior home matches at this statue of Independence that was so impregnable during the nation’s historic journey to its one-time-only participation at FIFA’s senior men’s World Cup competition, France ‘98.

Decades have passed and with it, the stars who shone so brightly and enabled Jamaica’s heartfelt moment.

Now is the moment when new stars must rise to light a journey in times when the world experiences the vagaries of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, which has played a role in eliminating one vital aspect of home matches, spectators, from Jamaica’s campaign thus far.

The Jamaica team appears to be gelling and showed improvements in team understanding over the last couple games. Whereas they were poor defensively and conceded eight goals in their first four matches, they have let in one goal in the past three. And the strike force, led by the big Shamar Nicholson, has new additions in Leon Bailey and Cory Burke, back from injury, plus Michail Antonio, who delivered the near match-winning goal with a wonderful solo play on Friday.

At least for this match, the Reggae Boyz will enjoy the backing of its 12th man, with the Government granting approvals for 5,000 spectators in the near-30,000 capacity facility.

However, bar the shouting, it is what the Reggae Boyz do on the pitch that will matter, ultimately, and Whitmore pointed to the fact that the team has not done well at home, having lost 0-3 against Panama and drawn 0-0 with Canada.

In this second half of the campaign where Jamaica will play five of its seven fixtures, he wants better.

“It is a plus to have these games at home, but we are not doing well at home because most of our points that we got is on the road,” Whitmore said. “It is a concern for us and it is for us as the technical team to see how best we can come up with the right master plan to get past the US team

Apart from current form in this qualifying that got going in September, all the signals indicate that Jamaica must make significant improvements against their American opponents, who have dominated their football results from ever since.

In 30 matches, Jamaica won three and drew eight, while the USA teams through the years have won 19.

More telling are the three matches in the last eight months where the US team has shown that they have Jamaica’s ‘ticket’, with a 4-1 International Friendly win in March; July’s 1-0 Gold Cup triumph; and the October 7 beating, 2-0, when the teams met in the away leg of this World Cup challenge, practically three weeks ago.

Then they ran roughshod over the Reggae Boyz and dominated midfield, as they have done while rotating a very young and bold squad throughout qualifying.

US head coach Greg Berhalter noted choosing horses for courses in yesterday’s press conference, saying as it relates to player selection, “it comes down to how best you can affect the opponent”.

Also, he listed advantages when asked to compare players from his largely Major League Soccer roster, saying: “They’re playing every week and there’s a ton of players in Concacaf qualifiers that they’re playing with and against.”

Again, Berhalter said he would continue his policy of utilising his squad.

“In terms of the rotation, we know we’re going to change two players ... but we don’t know who yet,” he said. “We’re very specific on what type of roster we’re seeking, and our opponent and what we’re hoping to achieve.

“We want to pull them out of position and take advantage of the positions we open up,” he said of his team that was able to constantly overload on the flanks and repeatedly prise open Jamaica’s defence last month.

In their quest to book a ticket to Qatar, the Reggae Boyz have displayed better all-round form in matches against Canada – a 2-0 win away in Honduras and Friday night’s 1-1 tie in El Salvador.

While this is so, for the second time this campaign, they surrendered a goal at the death and ended up dropping points, adding to the away match in Mexico which ended in a 1-2 defeat.

It is a bad football habit of concentration the Boyz must fix against a US team that has built a reputation for repetition. This is especially so on this landmark occasion when the Reggae Boyz are looking to resurrect their campaign and World Cup hopes with a win.

“If you look at the Mexico game, we should have gotten a point from that game and we gave it away at the end; and if we look at last night’s game (Friday), we dropped two points,” Whitmore analysed. “So it is something that we seriously have to look at moving forward.”.

audley.boyd@gleanerjm.com

Standings

Country P W D L GF GA GD PTS

United States 7 4 2 1 11 4 +7 14

Mexico 7 4 2 1 10 5 +5 14

Canada 7 3 4 0 11 4 +7 13

Panama 7 3 2 2 9 8 +1 11

Costa Rica 7 1 3 3 4 6 -2 6

Jamaica 7 1 3 3 5 9 -4 6

El Salvador 7 1 3 3 3 8 -5 6

Honduras 7 0 3 4 4 13 -9 3

Today’s games

• Jamaica v USA 5 p.m.

• Costa Rica v Honduras 8:05 p.m.

• Panama v El Salvador 8:05 p.m.

• Canada v Mexico 9:05 p.m.