Hallgrimsson looks for right start, right mindset
Published:Monday | June 3, 2024 | 12:10 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
REGGAE BOYZ coach Heimir Hallgrimsson says there is danger in thinking that their opening Concacaf World Cup qualifier against the Dominican Republic on Thursday at the National Stadium is a foregone conclusion.
The Reggae Boyz have been placed in Group E of the Concacaf second-round qualifiers with the Dominican Republic, Dominica, Guatemala, and the British Virgin Islands. Still, Hallgrimsson wants his charges to respect every opponent, no matter their ranking, and approach games with the correct mindset because nothing is guaranteed.
“To think like that would be a very wrong way of thinking. That would be totally disrespectful to Dominican Republic.
“If both (Jamaica) players and fans go to the National Stadium on the sixth and think this is a formality, then that is the wrong mindset, and not just against Dom Rep, but all teams participating in the preliminary qualification,” he said.
Hallgrimsson said the absence of the United States, Canada, and Mexico (all hosts of the 2026 World Cup) from the qualifiers will give other small countries a rare opportunity.
“They will think now is our chance, as if not now, then when can we qualify? They think it is a special time, and now they have a good chance.
“So all the teams will give everything for this opportunity. So we must prepare for a big fight on the sixth and show Dominican Republic a big respect because they have a good team, and if we go into this game with the wrong mindset, we can have a very tough game.”
After hosting the Dominican Republic on Thursday, the Reggae Boyz play away to Dominica on Sunday, and Hallgrimsson said the aim is to have six points at the end of the two games.
However, he believes that the fans and the players must work in harmony for them to achieve the desired results.
“We really want to take off with a good win here at home and get six points. That would more or less qualify us for the next round.
“So starting well is important, and we really need all the support we can get, whether you like the selection or the way we play, we need to win this game and we need to use all our resources to do that,” he said.
SMALL TEAM
“But nobody can guarantee a win against no one. Take it from me, who qualified a small team (Iceland) to the Euros and the World Cup, and through that, we beat teams who thought they were going to be all over Iceland.
“So I know for a fact that nothing is guaranteed in football. But I think with the combined effort of the players and the fans and all of Jamaica, if we support each other, we can win this game.
“It would be great to start this campaign with a win at home and then go to Dominica with that kind of security. So to start well in this World Cup campaign is a must for us.
“But results and support go hand in hand. So let’s hope we can just start off now doing things that will align us with the results.”