Jamaica (yellow jersey) finished as runner-up in both the 2016/17 Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup and the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. (Photo: AFP Services)
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Although his Jamaica side hasn’t defeated host Trinidad & Tobago at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain since 2000, head coach Theodore Whitmore is unconcerned by that statistic ahead of their August 24 friendly at the same venue.
“Football is a game which is played on the day and not in the past,” said the 45-year-old. “With the talent that is in this current squad, I am confident we have enough to get one over our Caribbean neighbours. We have six players from the Gold Cup squad and three who were in the Caribbean Cup, so we have the quality to deliver.”
Whitmore guided Jamaica through a successful summer, earning runner-up finishes in both the Caribbean Cup and Gold Cup, falling by the same 1-2 score in the respective finals to Curacao and the United States.
Defender Ladale Ritchie, as well as Portmore United midfielders Michael Binns, Ewan Grandison and Ricardo Morris, saw action in the CONCACAF event. Two others – forward Shamar Nicholson and defender Rosario Harriott – did not appear in any games
“The summer has been a mixed bag for us,” Whitmore finished. “The Caribbean Cup we wanted to win, but what we achieved in the Gold Cup was wonderful as well. The players we have in this squad to face Trinidad & Tobago are pumped up because the Soca Warriors are our big rivals in the region. They are focused solely to win and build, so we can hop further in the rankings, so our local players can get deals abroad like in Europe specifically.”
