Coach McClaren looks forward to Gold Cup debut

Steve McClaren, head coach of Jamaica’s senior football team, says he is eagerly looking forward to his first Concacaf Gold Cup after the Reggae Boyz were drawn in Group C at Thursday’s official draw.

The Reggae Boyz are to face Guatemala in their opening game on June 16. Their next fixture is against Guadeloupe on June 20 before closing the first round against 2025 Concacaf Nations League finalists Panama on June 24.

Jamaica played Guatemala at the quarter-finals of the last Gold Cup and beat them 1-0 with a goal from Amari’i Bell.

The Reggae Boyz have also had success against the other teams in the group at the Gold Cup, beating Panama 1-0 in the 2019 Gold Cup quarter-finals and edged Guadeloupe 2-1 at the 2021 staging.

“I’ve heard a lot about the Gold Cup,” McClaren said on Friday. “Can’t wait to experience that. Other players have, but myself and majority of the UK staff, we would not have experienced it. So that’s a new one for me.”

Jamaica qualified for the Gold Cup after beating St Vincent and the Grenadines 4-1 on aggregate in the preliminary round home-and-away tie last month.

It will be a busy summer for McClaren and the team as they are set to feature in the Unity Cup in the United Kingdom in late May. They are scheduled to play two FIFA World Cup qualifying games in early June, just prior to the start of the Gold Cup.

Jamaica are to face Guatemala twice in a week, in the World Cup qualifying on June 10, then the opening game of the Gold Cup.

McClaren said Panama are “favourites” in the group and described Guadeloupe as “a surprise package” with “good players”.

He added: “Guatemala, obviously, we’re playing them in a World Cup qualifier, so we’re in preparation for that, and we’ll learn a lot more after the World Cup qualifier... there’s not an easy gamein this competition, in this region, in Concacaf.”

Between now and their next competitive fixture, McClaren said the main thing is to keep a tab on current players and possibly finalising recruitment of others.

“That’s the most important thing, making sure players are informed. Actually, [there are] players coming back from injuries. There’s quite a few of them, Greg Leigh, Kasey Palmer at the present moment, Michail Antonio, who’s progressing well.

“So, looking at player recruitment, and this is where we’ve really got to push now. We’ve been pushing a lot. We’ve got quite a few who are getting close. We need to push that through so we’ve got them available for the summer and plan for the three camps, you know, at least seven games.”

He said logistics will be crucial to everything falling into place.

“We’ve got to make sure that we plan properly. Everything’s logistically correct, hotels, training facilities, picking of the squads and just making sure that, yeah, we’re ready. It’s a short time from now... but once it’s going we’ve got to be so organised, so on the ball,” McClaren said.

— Paul A Reid