Coach McLaren looks beyond Concacaf Quarter Final loss
Following yet another dismal performance by the Reggae Boyz, head coach Steve McClaren chooses to focus on the positives in his team, as he remains committed to his vision for the nation’s senior football players.
The Reggae Boyz were eliminated from the Concacaf Nations League on Monday night (November 18) after losing 4-2 to three-time reigning champions the United States in their second-leg quarterfinal match in St. Louis, Missouri.
While the loss is difficult for everyone, McClaren sees it as an important part of the team’s development and a clear reminder of the work that needs to be done to lift Jamaican football to new heights.
“We could have folded at halftime, but we didn’t. I told the players we had to win the second half. We changed the shape, personnel, and attitude, and we were more aggressive. That gave us opportunities, and we scored, but we were always vulnerable on the transition, and then the fourth goal was a kick in the teeth. But still, we came back. I mean, that’s character, that’s courage, and that’s what the team has got, so we have to build on that by being tactically and technically better, because that’s what the USA were,” McClaren reasoned.
With their primary goal being the 2026 FIFA World Cup, McClaren is choosing to view the loss as part of a necessary process, as their immediate future now entails navigating the Gold Cup preliminary rounds, a step back from their automatic qualification hopes.
The Reggae Boyz were hoping for a brighter start to Monday night’s match after trailing 1-0 after the first leg in Kingston, but Christian Pulisic and company had other intentions, winning the two-legged contest 5-2 on aggregate. Pulisic scored in the 14th minute after latching onto a long, looping pass from Weston McKennie.
The lead was later extended in the 33rd minute when Pulisic, who had been a menace all game, latched on to a McKennie pass that Tanner Tessmann dummied, but his shot deflected off Di’Shon Bernard, who was given credit for the goal. Ricardo Pepi, the lone scorer in the first leg, increased the lead to three in the 42nd minute, giving the Americans a significant edge heading into the second half.
After the break, Demarai Gray scored the first of his two goals in the 54th minute with a volley past goalkeeper Matt Turner, before Timothy Weah hit a tremendous strike to make it 4-1. Gray scored the game’s final goal off a rebound in the 68th minute, his seventh and second brace, after Turner parried Renaldo Cephas’ initial attempt.