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Reggae Boyz coach seeks ‘reaction, resilience’ against Guadeloupe
June 20, 2025
Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McClaren said the objective for today's outing in the Concacaf Gold Cup against Guadeloupe will be to recover from their opening defeat against Guatemala and leave the field with all three points.
Jamaica will play their second fixture of Group C with the match set for 6:45 p.m. at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.
The team is looking to bounce back from their opening 1-0 loss to Guatemala and begin their climb into one of the two qualifying spots from the group.
"We're very disappointed against Guatemala. Not the ideal start and we have to win the next two. The next one is [today] against Guadeloupe so we need a reaction from the team, a reaction from everybody," he said.
"The mood after the game (Guatemala) was very disappointing, but I think the mood has lifted and we're preparing for the game."
The Reggae Boyz boss believes the match will be especially important as it will test the team's mentality and their ability to recover under pressure.
Their task has been made no easier following news that midfielder Isaac Hayden and defender Mason Holgate have been ruled out for the remainder of the competition due to injury.
They have been replaced by Karoy Anderson and Sue-Lae McCalla.
The head coach said Hayden's absence in particular will be a major blow, as the midfielder had brought stability to the Boyz squad.
"I think we identified Isaac Hayden as an important recruitment. We got that through in November and he's stabilised out midfield," McClaren said..
"Unfortunately, he has to go back. But long term, when we're looking at World Cup Qualifiers, as long as Isaac stays fit we have the ideal person that glues the team tighter. When he's not, we're searching around a little bit for a solution and at the moment we haven't found that ideal six to play that role."
McClaren believes the game will not be decided by team tactics or set-up, but rather their ability to give the right reaction on the day and produce a better performance from their last outing.
"We're focused on the present. One game at a time and the most important is Guadeloupe and that we get a reaction from the team. It's not about tactics, it's not about midfield, it's about a reaction and a mentality to bounce back and show resilience and get a result."
