Davis expects Boyz to play better today

Mount Pleasant F.A. head coach Paul Davis said that he expects a better performance from the Reggae Boyz when they face Saudi Arabia in their second international friendly today at the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Stadium in Riyadh. Kick-off is at 11:30 a.m. Jamaica time.

Jamaica's return to international football was not pleasant as they were soundly beaten 3-0 in their first game played last Saturday. Goals from Salem Al Dawsari, Saleh Al-Shehri and Firas Al-Buraikan secured the "Green Falcons" second consecutive victory over the Jamaicans in their home country. They last defeated the Boyz 5-2 in 2017.

Davis said that the limited time to prepare along with the extended lay-off from international football left the team with a difficult assignment and was not surprised at the result.

It's not easy

"It was expected. The guys were off for a while so to get them back up, it's not easy," Davis told STAR Sports.

The match was the first time that Jamaica has played an international friendly since March because of the coronavirus pandemic. While both teams experienced the same circumstances in lack of fixtures, the Saudi's managed to capitalise on defensive errors en route to victory. They took the lead in the 10th minute from the penalty spot after full-back Kemar Lawrence handled the ball in the penalty area and Lawrence was culpable for the second goal three minutes before half time.

Davis said that he expects improvement from the team as they make necessary adjustments.

"I think [we are] going to see improvement in terms of mobility. Because I think we were a bit lousy, we made some silly little mistakes so to speak. But I think [we are going] to get a better game. In terms of performance, I think we will be good [today]," Davis said.

The games are being used as preparation for the upcoming World Cup final-round qualifiers next June and the 2021 Gold Cup tournament in July.