‘The heads didn’t go down’
McClaren heartened by Reggae Boyz will to overcome
Published:Saturday | November 16, 2024 | 12:09 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
FOR THE third game running under coach Steve McClaren, the Reggae Boyz failed to score at home inside the National Stadium, after firing blanks in their 1-0 defeat to the United States in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal first leg on Thursday.
In the Englishman’s first game against Cuba, both teams failed to score and it was a similar situation when they played their return game against Honduras in the Nations League group stage.
The Reggae Boyz created a number of chances during the game on Thursday, and even had a penalty, but failed to find the net.
Nevertheless, in his post-match press conference, McClaren said he does not think the Reggae Boyz’s previous results have affected their confidence or influenced their poor form in front of goal at home.
“I don’t think so. When you are through (on goal) on the field, you don’t think ‘My God I am through, I have an opportunity. I can’t score.’
“We saw enough confidence in players. It’s disappointing to miss a penalty but that happens in football but the heads didn’t go down,” he said.
“They could have easily done that, but they kept fighting and through the 90 minutes, I thought they were very good. I am very pleased.”
Ricardo Pepi fired a low strike past Andre Blake five minutes into the match to give the visitors the advantage going into Monday’s second leg at the City Park in Missouri.
The former Manchester United assistant coach, however, remains confident in his team’s ability to go to the US and get a rare win over their more-fancied opponents.
“It is 1-0. It is half-time and I think that we have proven that the USA will not be taking the game on Monday lightly. We know that we can score and give them a game. The first goal will be important. If we score the first goal, the tie will be on. So I am really looking forward to Monday and playing them again.
“There were a lot of positives. I am not down. I am positive about Monday. We just need to be cooler. Get ourselves together. Keep the spirit, keep the fight, and keep the belief that we can go there and score first and make a game of it.”
Demarai Gray missed a penalty early in the first half with the boyz 1-0 down and McClaren thought that was a decisive moment.
“Momentum is massive in football and they scored early and got that early momentum. But we never stopped. We created opportunities, got a penalty and the keeper (Matt Turner) made a great save.
“But the momentum, all of a sudden, shifted back to them. It could have knocked our spirit but what I like is our reaction because it never did. We carried on,” he commented.
The type of spirit and fight the players showed on Thursday will be crucial in their efforts on Monday. But with the quality they have, McClaren is optimistic that victory in the second leg is not beyond them.
“What I liked about the players was their fight and their spirit. You go 1-0 down to the US after five minutes. It’s difficult, when they control it, to come back. But they showed fighting spirit. So much so that we had a few scuffles, which show the team is together, fighting for each other. Not accepting losing.
“We created chances. We didn’t score. But we had a great opportunity with the penalty, and one cleared off the line, and other opportunities. But the US know we are a threat.
“They are certain aspects in the first half and certain aspects in the second half that we can improve.
“But we talked about the Canada (Nations League second leg) result (last year), and going to Honduras. We talked about going to Nicaragua.
“So we are capable of winning away from home. We are capable of scoring goals away from home. So we hope the US will look at and treat us with respect.”