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Coach McClaren wary of St Vincent pitfalls - Concacaf Gold Cup clash at Arnos Vale kicks off at 6 p.m.
March 21, 2025
Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McClaren said he will be cautious of the danger St Vincent and the Grenadines could pose to his team when they face off today in the first leg of the Concacaf Gold Cup Preliminaries at the Arnos Vale Stadium at 6 p.m. Jamaica time.
Despite entering the match as favourites, McClaren said he views today's opponents as a tough assignment due to their recent run of form.
St Vincent had shocked El Salvador 2-1 when the two teams met in a Concacaf Nations League B meeting, a result he said is proof of their quality.
"We watched, especially the two games against El Salvador, a very good team, and unlucky to lose one game and won the other game in the last minute," he said.
"The big danger is coming here and thinking it will be an easy game and it won't. From what I've seen, they certainly look better than 173 ranking so we'll certainly find out tomorrow."
However, McClaren said the quality in his squad selection should be more than enough for Jamaica to win the tie as long as they do not understate their opponents.
The head coach has spent three days with the team in St Vincent, which he described as three productive days preparing for the game.
"It has been going very good. We got the squad completely together on Tuesday so we've had three days of preparation and we're expecting a very tough first game," he said.
"We've stressed to the team that this is not going to be easy. What I've realised in my six months in the Caribbean is that there are no easy games; they are all different and tomorrow will be the same. So it is to adapt, accept and win.
"It is a strong squad, a strong team and I expect us to prepare properly and do the business [today]," McClaren added.
POSITIVE MOOD
Reggae Boyz defender Ethan Pinnock was also in high spirits ahead of the game as he said the mood in the team's camp has been positive.
Despite Jamaica, ranked 62nd in the world, being ranked 111 places above St Vincent, ranked 173, Pinnock said the team is ready to give their best when they take to field.
"The mood is positive. It is always a good time when you're in camp but when it's training time, everyone knows we need to buckle down.
"Despite what you say about the rankings, we're not too focused on that because we go into every game with the same mindset about what we need to do to win."
Jamaica have won just once in their last five games. They defeated Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 on February 2 but drew with the same team on February 9. The Reggae Boyz lost twice to the United States last November, 1-0 at home and 4-2 away.
Meanwhile St Vincent have won three times and drew their other two games.
The winners of the two-legged tie will earn a spot in the group stages of the upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup set to begin in June.
The second leg of the fixture is set to take place at Sabina Park on March 25.
