ORLANDO, Florida.- Theodore Whitmore coached Jamaica in the Gold Cup for 19th time, securing an impressive milestone in the Reggae Boyz' win against Suriname.
Whitmore passed former U.S. head coach Bob Bradley for games coached in the competition and locked in his spot for second-most managed games in the tournament's history. The all-time record is held by another legendary U.S. coach in Bruce Arena, who coached 25 games in the Gold Cup. Whitmore is no stranger to accolades with Jamaica though.
Whitmore was also a successful midfielder for the Reggae Boyz, picking up 120 caps and scoring 24 goals. Although Whitmore is appreciative of his success, he likely wouldn't mind sharing another accolade with Bradley: a Gold Cup title. It is that goal that is keeping Whitmore locked in at the task at hand.
"Well, I think the first half we managed the game, we played and scored but I think that in the second half our team was a bit relaxed," Whitmore said in accessing Jamaica's win over Suriname. "We didn't manage the game and we didn't pressure our opponent. We allowed them to play in the game and that sums it up."
If Whitmore isn't completely satisfied by Jamaica's 2-0 win over Suriname, it is because he knows how good this team can be. The Jamaican head coach is now in his fourth and most successful tenure as national team head coach with 10 wins, four ties, and five defeats. His sole focus is the Gold Cup final.
Whitmore has been close. In 2017, he led Jamaica to the final only to see the team lose 2-1 to the Stars and Stripes. Still, even if Whitmore is pushing for his team to take another step, he is enjoying the current culture of his team's locker room. Even if he is perplexed by some of his players' goal celebrations.
"All players are crazy when it comes to celebrations, sometimes they do things that it even blows my mind," Whitmore told Concacaf.com with a chuckle.
