– Golden Jaguars focused on getting a ‘W’ against Jamaica tonight
AFTER edging Aruba 1 – 0 on Friday last, the Golden Jaguars will host Jamaica tonight at the National Track and Field Centre, in their first home game in the CONCACAF Nations League.
The game, which kicks off from 7:00pm, will see Guyana facing the Reggae Boyz for the first time since their infamous defeat, when the Jamaicans came from 2 – 0 down at half time to thump Guyana 4 – 2 in a game that saw the Golden Jaguars missing out on a Gold Cup spot, while Jamaica went on to reach the final of CONCACAF’s pinnacle event.
Though both sides started their Nations League campaign on a winning note, Jamaica sits on top of Group C in League B with a ‘+5’ superior goal difference, having won 6 – 0 against Antigua and Barbuda.
“I do feel going into this game we are the underdog,” team Captain Samuel Cox told reporters yesterday at the pre-match press conference.
The UK-based defender, however, stated that “we just had a really good results and performance away against Aruba (where) the boys applied themselves really well and that gives us the confidence going into the game at Leonora. It’s 90 minutes of football we’re going to give everything we can to get the results.”
Despite accepting that Guyana might have their backs against the wall facing a well-rounded Jamaica side that will feature Bundesliga star Leon Baily, Assistant Coach Charles ‘Lilly’ Pollard pointed out that the Golden Jaguars still hold an “equal chance” of coming out on top or securing a draw.
According to Pollard, “the ball is round and the team we have now is a blend of experience and some new guys, a good balance of overseas and local (players) and we have some young guys. I think it will be a competitive game and as I stated, our chances are equal.”
Speaking specially to the result, Pollard said given the fact that both teams started the group stage by picking up three points, “a draw wouldn’t be a bad result in this game.”
Managing expectations
Much has changed since Guyana qualified for the CONCACAF Gold Cup and made their first appearance at a major CONCACAF tournament.
Guyana is now playing under newly-appointed coach, Brazilian Márcio Máximo, who made some adjustments to the team representing the ‘592’ in the USA this year.
Cox is of the view that while he welcomes the fans wanting to hold the team to high expectations, it should be clear that the team is going through a transition at the moment and that it’s only right that those beliefs be managed.
“This is an entirely different squad composition; it’s a good blend of local and overseas players and we have to manage expectations of players and fans alike because it’s a transition period from the summer where [we] had Coach (Michael) Johnson and now we have Coach (Márcio) Máximo in charge where there’s a different team dynamic. He’s had just about a week work with the boys…it’s going to take time and we know we’re coming up a really strong side in Jamaica, but on any given day we can beat anybody,” Cox said.
Guyana will bank on the experience of Cox, Neil Danns, Sheldon Holder, Matthew Briggs, Keanu Marsh-Brown and Goalkeeper Akel Clarke.
Terrel Ondaan, who plays with Grenoble Foot 38 in the French Ligue 2 league, will have a major role to play ‘up front’ for Guyana, with the 25-year-old forward holding the Golden Jaguars’ best chances, along with Holder and Danns to give the home side a chance against a tough Jamaican defence.
For Jamaica, apart from Bailey, their side will feature defender Adrian Mariappa who plays in the English Premier League with Watford FC, Fulham FC’s Bobby Reid and MLS side Philadelphia Union’s goalkeeper Andre Blake.
