Latest News
‘Nobody’s guaranteed’ a spot in Reggae Boyz squad – McClaren
June 26, 2025
Reggae Boyz coach Steve McClaren blames the team's poor defensive display as one of the main reasons for their 4-1 defeat to Panama and early exit from the Concacaf Gold Cup. Bitter at the defeat, McClaren said none of the players have a secure position on the Jamaica team.
"But at the present moment nobody is guaranteed (a place in the squad)," McClaren said. "They have to show from now on till September what it is that is going to get us to the World Cup."
Jamaica, which needed a win to boost their hopes of advancing beyond the group stage, conceded a first-half hat-trick to Ismael Diaz (4th, 17th and 45th) to trail 3-1 at the break in their final Group C match against Panama on Tuesday.
Amari'i Bell pulled a goal back in the 27th minute for Jamaica. But Thomas Rodriguez made the game safe for Panama with an 89th-minute goal.
It was the first time the Reggae Boyz were being eliminated at the group stage of the Gold Cup in six tournaments, and McClaren said their lack of defensive stability has to be noted.
"We had spells today (Tuesday). But we didn't defend and defending is not about systems. It is about the collective," he said.
"Collective is about discipline. It is about knowing your set-pieces, it's about knowing where the penalty boxes are and knowing not to do what.
"And that has been our problem. We have not defended very well. We have conceded six goals and my priority is defending," McClaren stated.
"We could not defend. We could not defend the long balls. We could not defend crosses. Our defence conceded six goals in three games. You can't win anything with that," he stated.
However, he said they did not cover themselves in glory at the other end of the pitch neither.
"We have managed to score only three ... and the amount of chances we created. But we know where we are going. We know what we need to do," he said.
Apart from players playing below expectations, McClaren said injuries to key players just before the tournament was a key factor in how they went about their business at the tournament, and promises a major shake-up for the World Cup qualifiers.
"We had injuries; we lost Mason Holgate, who is a big character. We lost Damian Lowe, who's got experience and is a big character. The biggest one was Isaac Hayden. We lost our glue in the midfield," he reflected.
"We hope that they get fit, stay fit and come back. They've come off a hard season and physically we didn't look right. But I know which way to go forward and I know who to go forward with.
