Not an easy road - Stakeholders weigh in on Reggae Boyz W’Cup schedule
Published:Friday | August 21, 2020 | 12:27 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
With Jamaica opening its 2022 FIFA World Cup final-round qualifying campaign with tough away fixtures, Humble Lion head coach Andrew Price believes that the Reggae Boyz’s opening road stretch could prove beneficial in the long run.
The final-round qualifying draw, which was held at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich on Wednesday, sees Jamaica starting their road assignments against four major opponents.
They begin in June next year away to Mexico and will face the United States, Costa Rica and Honduras early on the road. This means Jamaica will only have two home fixtures in their first seven games.
The revised final round now features an eight-team tournament, with the final three teams to be decided from the first and second rounds, which are scheduled to take place in October this year.
Price reasoned that despite starting their road campaign early against the strongest teams in the region, playing them early on the road could work out in Jamaica’s favour, considering that five of Jamaica’s last seven games of the competition will be played at home.
“At the start of the tournament we might not be as sharp as we expect to be and, therefore, those away games come at a good time,” Price told The Gleaner. “I believe later down in the tournament when we have the opportunity to host those same teams, we would be in a much better position to garner all three points. And that’s our objective, to win all of our home games.”
Former national assistant coach Bradley Stewart believes that how the Reggae Boyz prepare between now and June will reflect in their performances in the first few games.
“What we do in the early stages, I think, is going to be a serious reflection on how much training we put in to make sure that we are ready to face those tough teams,” Stewart said. “Playing away games, it has to be that you are going to make sure that you don’t lose those games. That should be your priority.”
IMPORTANT GAMES
Price, meanwhile, stressed the importance of making their home advantage count. With two consecutive home games against the United States and Mexico, respectively, in the latter part of next year, he believes that those fixtures could ultimately decide whether or not Jamaica can end its two-decade wait for another World Cup final appearance.
“We need to win those games at home. I believe that 24 points can fire Jamaica to the World Cup. So it’s very important that all seven games that we play at home, that we get maximum three points,” Price said.
Meanwhile, Reggae Boyz team manager Roy Simpson says that the team is not daunted by the prospect of their tough, early road assignments.
“We understand that qualification for the World Cup is going to be a tough project, a tough assignment. We understand that whatever the hurdles we will face, it’s just how we manoeuvre ourselves to get over them,” Simpson said.
Wednesday also saw the draw for the first and second rounds of Concacaf qualifying. The 30 other countries in the region were sorted into six groups of five from A to F. The group winners will then play each other in a two game play-off, which will determine the three participants to join the final round.