đŻđ˛ Jamaica hopes for jolt in World Cup decider v. DR Congo
Plus thoughts on Mexico & nearly 2,000 words on almost all the Concacaf men's national teams in action from Aruba & Anguilla to Haiti & Honduras.
It wasnât a mic drop, but it was a lights out moment for Jamaica manager Rudolph Speid.
Asked if he would change his starting lineup and bring star Leon Bailey into the XI for Tuesdayâs playoff with the DR Congo that will send the winner to the World Cup, he had little to say.
âItâs possible,â he noted. But then the power flickered, and while the lights came right back on, the video screen behind him did not. He laughed, gave a thumbs up, got up and left.
This is how the interim Reggae Boyz boss has conducted himself since taking over. He has his plan but isnât long on detail. He isnât cordial with the press but isnât rude either. And, so far, he hasnât failed as the coach. But he also hasnât succeeded.
If the Reggae Boyz do what they did Thursday in a 1-0 win over New Caledonia on Tuesday against DR Congo, they will head home and plan summer vacation rather than the World Cup. Speid and the team seem to be clear enough on that.
âThey have very good structures both in defense and attack. They have strong players, professional players. Theyâve done extremely well over the last couple of years, getting to the semifinal of the African Nations Cup (in 2023) and the last Round of 16, and theyâve beaten some big teams along the way,â the Jamaica manager said. âIf ranking and the strength of team gave you wins, none of us would be here.
âThe game has to be played, and thatâs what weâre looking forward to.â
Speid is banking on the fact that he was able to work with his players far longer ahead of this match than the opener. Against New Caledonia, the team wasnât crisp. They didnât take advantage of scoring opportunities. They gave the smaller nation time and space, narrowly avoiding getting punished with what wouldâve been a cruel equalizer.
After four days of training and Tuesdayâs matchday meetings, Speid thinks his team is ready to take on the underdog role and surprise those who think the team with the better FIFA ranking will book its place in North America.
While he declined to comment on who would come into his starting lineup, it seems likely that he will start from a stronger position. Veterans including Bailey, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Damion Lowe and Amariâi Bell came into the match with New Caledonia late. He also gets midfielder Ian Fray back from suspension.
A few of those players likely need to turn in 90-minute shifts if Jamaica is going to find a way to win and give Concacaf a seventh team at this World Cup.
Speid scouted DR Congo in person at the most recent AFCON, and players say theyâre plenty familiar with Les Leopards after crunching film.
âTheyâre a totally different opponent. Theyâre a lot more physical. They play direct. They like to counter-attack,â defender Joel Latibeaudiere said when asked about the difference between New Caledonia and the team heâll face Tuesday. âItâs something we have to nullify, but they have weaknesses as well that we can exploit.â
The other thing the Cardiff City defender noted Jamaica must do? âTaking our chance,â he said. âWe had a lot of chances against New Caledonia, and we didnât take them. If we take our chances here, I think we can get the job done.â
So far, Speid has survived the power outages and come out smiling. He needs to find a way to give his team a jolt for the Reggae Boyz to book a place on the stage where the lights are brightest for the first time since 1998.
đ˛đ˝ The future of the Mexico national team is here
El Tri fought to a scoreless draw with Portugal, but even as the wait for the first goal in the reopened Estadio Azteca stretched past 90 minutes, Mexico learned a very important lesson.
The future is now.
With a number of key injury absences, Mexico manager Javier Aguirre handed starts to Brian Gutierrez and Obed Vargas and was rewarded with dynamic performances from both U.S.-born World Cup hopefuls.
