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Coaches say Boyz can still get to Qatar 2022
November 15, 2021
Local coaches, veteran Bradley Stewart and Andrew Price, believe the Reggae Boyz are still very much in the race for a World Cup qualification berth, despite sitting sixth with six points in the Concacaf final round at the midway stage of the qualifiers.
The Jamaicans are seven points off an automatic qualifying spot and five behind the fourth-place play-off spot.
However, Price recalled that at the halfway point during the Reggae Boyz's historic qualification campaign in 1998, they were in a similar seemingly impossible position but overcame the odds to qualify.
"In 1998 at the half-way stage, we were in a similar position and we were able to pick ourselves up and qualify and I believe we can do it again.
"We have seven games and five are home games, so we just need to start winning our home games," he said.
The Boyz have played five of their first seven matches on the road, and with the return fixtures looking very favourable, Price is banking on the Boyz to maximise the points from the home games from here on, especially with the quality the team possesses.
"We have given up enough points at home already. So we need to start collecting three points whenever we play at home and it starts this Tuesday against the United States (USA).
"With the squad that we have, we just have to put the right eleven out there. We have to take the game to the United States because we have quality players.
"We have the capability and the quality and we just need to maximise home field advantage," Price said. Stewart, a former national assistant coach, believes the team still has a chance to qualify, although he is not too positive about a good result against the United States tomorrow.
He said even with the individual quality of the players, the team lacks chemistry and understanding and he does not think the technical staff is capable of making the adjustments necessary to guarantee three points.
"There is still an outside chance of getting to the qualification. But the problem is our coaches haven't yet recognised that there is an ugly football and a pretty football, which give different results.
"In Mexico, we were 1-1 and played an open game and lost 2-1. In El Salvador, we were leading after 82 minutes and we did not adjust how we play and drew 1-1. So some basic things are not happening," he reasoned.
He believes the team's position in the table is a reflection of this lack of tactical thinking. The Reggae Boyz have won just two of the last 10 games against the USA and Stewart said a point tomorrow would be a positive result.
"Tuesday we need rational decisions, starting with the starting eleven and how you make adjustments as the game goes on.
"So if you gain an advantage, you protect that advantage. But we haven't had much luck getting positive results against the USA. If we get one point we have to see it as a victory. To get the three points would be a surprise," he commented.
"Our players do have some talent but they are not a good team, and optimism alone cannot help us any more.
"We have to look at the reality and the reality is we haven't played well. We have won one game in seven and that does not reflect a team that is ready for World Cup," he said.
Tomorrow's game at the National Stadium will kick off at 5 p.m. For the time since the qualifiers started vaccinated home fans (maximum 5,000) will be allowed into the venue to cheer the team. No fans were allowed in the National Stadium for the first two home games against Panama on September 5 and Canada on October 10.
