Boyz vs US, Poch vs McClaren

IT WILL be a battle of the newly appointed coaches in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals when the Reggae Boyz face off against the United States (USA) across two legs in the November international window.

Jamaica will play hosts to USA in the first leg of the encounter at the National Stadium on November 14 before an away fixture in the return leg on November 18.

The fixture will be a rematch of the semi-finals of the last edition of the competition where the Boyz were bitterly defeated 3-1 by the Americans after extra time.

The Boyz will enter the fixture knowing it will be an uphill task against opponents they had last defeated back in 2019 through a wonder strike from Shamar Nicholson.

Since then, the teams have met on seven occasions, with five wins for the Americans and two draws.

The match will also be the competitive managerial debut for newly appointed US head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

The acclimated Argentine manager took charge of the US men’s team last month to replace Gregg Berhalter at the helm of the regional giants.

Since his appointment, the US have defeated Panama 2-0 before falling to Mexico by a similar scoreline.

For Pochettini, the fixture against Jamaica will be his first foray into CONCACAF tournaments, and he will be hoping to start his tenure on a positive note.

For Reggae Boyz boss Stephen McClaren, the fixture will put his unbeaten record on the line as he will face his sternest opposition yet.

McClaren is aware of the challenge ahead and said if Jamaica wants to be competitive at the top level, then the team will need to be more confident in their style of play and more effective when on the ball.

“Like everything, you’re going to ask for consistency. The players have taken it on and tried to implement it. They understand it, but we’re not doing it fluidly at the present moment. But what I like is we make mistakes, but we’re still brave enough to keep the ball and keep searching,” McClaren stated.

“This is difficult to do, but if you want to compete and to get to the World Cup, then you’re going to have to want the ball, keep the ball, and be brave on the ball. That is the mentality,” he added.

The winner of the quarterfinals will advance to the Nations League semi-finals and book their spot in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The losing team will head to the CONCACAF Gold Cup preliminaries for another chance of qualifying.