‘It is a big setback’

Reggae Boyz coach Rudolph Speid said the team failed to execute its game plan in Monday’s 1-0 loss to 10-man Honduras in their Concacaf Nations League A Group B match at the National Stadium.

Keyrol Figueroa’s 14th-minute strike proved decisive, handing the visitors all three points and their first victory over the Reggae Boyz in nine meetings spanning the past 13 years.

It was a disjointed performance from the Jamaicans, who suffered an early setback when Renaldo Cephas was forced off with a leg injury after just 10 minutes and replaced by Tyrese Campbell.

Apart from a brief spell after conceding, the Boyz offered little attacking threat and appeared short on cohesion while also looking vulnerable at the back.

Speid attributed the lacklustre display to fatigue, suggesting that the decision to use many of the same players in two matches over three days may have taken its toll.

“We didn’t start so well. We were chasing the game for the first quarter hour, and then we conceded the goal, and then we started to play better, but I thought we were just off. We didn’t execute as we planned.

“Maybe it was just legs, with the people who started the last match we repeated them. We were a bit lethargic, and we allowed Honduras to dominate the game in the first half, especially.

“It wasn’t (the performance I expected). Energy-wise, we were not really there. We were behind Honduras, who wanted it more and played harder than we were playing, and I think that decided the game,” he stated.

Speid acknowledged concerns over the team’s energy levels and suggested that squad rotation could become necessary for the remaining matches in the international window, particularly with injuries beginning to mount.

“Yes (energy level is a concern), it is, but we have a big squad. It is possible we might have to allow other players with more energy to play. We will have to be rotating the squad. So it is something we are going to look at.”

The Reggae Boyz were dealt a major blow when Cephas limped off early. The team was already without striker Rumarn Burrell, and Ronaldo Webster also suffered a significant knock. Speid said all injured players would be assessed before Jamaica travel to face El Salvador on Friday.

He admitted that Cephas’s departure had a significant impact on the team’s attacking plans.

“It did (affect us). We were expecting him to put on a good performance, using his speed and guile. When he went down, we had to change tactics and made some adjustments, which probably were not as effective.

“He (Burrell) is out totally. He picked up an injury, and he is going back to England for treatment. I don’t know as yet (the extent of Cephas’s injury). Now Cover has an issue, too, along with Webster,” he said.

With Cephas sidelined, much of the creative burden fell to Kaheim Dixon, who was among Jamaica’s brightest performers despite being unable to replicate the impact he made in the previous match. Speid also praised Miguel Freckleton’s contribution after coming off the bench.

“Kaheim had a very good game. He worked hard both in defence and in attack. He attacked his wing-back a lot, and I thought he had a good game. He just wasn’t as effective as the last game.

“Freckleton came in and did extremely well. He has just told us he belongs here, and that is one of the positives to take away from the game.”

Speid said the team would reflect on the defeat but acknowledged that the result left Jamaica with little room for error in their bid to advance from the group.

“It is a big setback. It means we have to win all our games to qualify from this stage. So it’s going to be tough, and going away will make it even harder for us.

“Football is a game you have to learn to live with the wins, the losses, and the draws. We will have some soul-searching with the team, and then we move on.

“Almost everything needs to be improved on. Our performance wasn’t so good, and when we dropped into a low block, the team was still finding ways through. I think we were too wide apart, and we need to be much tighter.

“When teams fall into the low block, we will have to be very patient. That was the main reason we did not penetrate them. We were not patient enough to just keep the ball and look for good opportunities. We were rushing the game a bit, and I think that contributed to us not scoring a goal.”

Suriname lead the group with six points from two matches, while Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, and El Salvador are all on three points. Martinique remain at the foot of the standings without a point.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com