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Hallgrimsson praises Lowe’s midfield play
March 26, 2024
Jamaican defender Damion Lowe has been receiving rave reviews for his outstanding performance in central midfield in the Concacaf Nations League tournament, and coach Heimir Hallgrimsson declared that the player has been the engine they have been missing in the middle of the park.
Lowe first played central midfield under coach Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore in a friendly international against Serbia in 2021, where he was outstanding in that 1-1 draw.
He was used by Hallgrimsson in that position for the first time last November, during the second half of the Boyz's Concacaf Nations League quarter-final second-leg against Canada, where he was again superb in their 3-2 win, for the Boyz to advance on the away-goal rule after a 4-4 aggregate draw.
Hallgrimsson again used Lowe in the central midfield position in the 3-1 Boyz's Nations League semi-final loss against the United States of America (USA) on Thursday and in their third-place playoff 1-0 victory against Panama on Sunday.
Hallgrimsson admits that he has more than enough reliable defensive cover at his disposal and that Lowe's qualities in midfield have been crucial to their recent success.
"He played this (position) against Canada in the second half and did a good job, so it's a good option," Hallgrimsson commented.
"We are missing some players, so we wanted him to play in this position (against USA). He was all over the pitch, maybe too much because his legs were tired.
"He showed, in both these matches, that he has the engine we were a little bit missing before. Defensively, he brings a lot of steel in our midfield."
Hallgrimsson, however, admitted Lowe needs improvement offensively, although the Philadelphia Union defender has been immaculate in his defensive applications.
"We need to work more on the attacking side for him, position, etcetera. What is best for him, and where best to use him in build-ups.
"He has been kind of the key in midfield for us. It is probably nice to play next to him because he takes the dirty work on his shoulders, and he helps us tremendously with his work rate and attitude because this guy is a warrior," he continued.
"I am pleased with him, and it is good to have versatile players, if you want to change a system in the middle of a game, you can move a player around. It is good he can play more than one position," Hallgrimsson said.
