Copa squad to be announced this week

WITH THE nation’s two World Cup qualifying games out of the way, the Reggae Boyz will now turn their attention to the CONMBEBOL Copa America tournament, to be held in the United States from June 20-July 16.

Assistant coach John Wall noted that the Reggae Boyz Copa America squad will be announced this week, but that the team will take a week-long break before returning to camp on the 16th.

“It (World Cup qualifying games) is kind of special, more or less, for everyone that played the two games.

“We will take a break from the World Cup for a year. But Copa America and the Nations League just continue. So for us, it’s always about the next game and we can’t think too much ahead of ourselves,” he said after Jamaica’s 3-2 win over Dominica on Sunday.

Jamaica defeated the Dominican Republic 1-0 and Dominica 3-2 to sit second behind Guatemala on goal difference in Group E of Concacaf second-round World Cup qualifying.

The team will now have to wait almost exactly a year before their next World Cup qualifying game, which will be away to the British Virgin Islands on June 7, 2025, before taking on Guatemala three days later.

However, their most immediate assignment is the Copa America, with their first game against Concacaf opponents Mexico only 11 days away.

The team will play out of Group B with Mexico, Venezuela and Ecuador.

After the Copa America tournament, the team will then look to the Concacaf Nations League, with four games between September and October.

Wall said the coaching staff will use the week’s break to continue their assessments heading into camp on Sunday.

“For us (coaches) most of all the pre-planning has been done. It’s going to be a break for now until we get back to Copa.

“The squad will be named this week but for us it’s taking everything into account, looking at the big picture we are heading into. And looking back at details again until camp starts on the 16th,” he said.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com