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Hallgrimsson still expects criticism
November 23, 2023
Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson expects the Reggae Boyz to continue being pressured by Jamaica's media, despite their historic first win on Canadian soil on Tuesday, which pushed them into the semi-finals of the Concacaf Nations League and book a spot in next year's Copa America.
The Icelandic coach, who has only three competitive defeats in 12 games, has been under pressure from both traditional and social media after some underwhelming displays, and that increased after the first leg 2-1 defeat to Canada at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Local media also criticised several players for below-par performances, with Aston Villa's star Leon Bailey, central midfielder Joel Latibeudiere and Damion Lowe bearing the brunt of the judgement.
Hallgrimsson praised his players for their 3-2 victory over Canada but anticipated the local media to persist in harshly criticising them and himself.
"Some of the media might still give the players some sh*t," Hallgrimsson said in the post-match press conference.
"This was, probably, the most important game for Jamaica in a long time. After the game, that (media scrutiny) will not change. I am just putting it into perspective."
According to Hallgrimsson, the Reggae Boyz received a raw deal from the match officials, led by referee Cesar Ramos from Mexico.
"I thought, especially the referees, were not fair. Maybe I was losing my emotions. In some cases, for example, when there is an injured player, on two occasions we needed to change them. They didn't stop when they went down, and I thought it was unfair.
"Maybe it is my emotions, and, if I was wrong, I am sorry, but I think we were fighting against several things, and the players rose above it and finished the game," he commented.
Nevertheless, he opined that reaching the Copa America would boost the federation and the team.
"For Jamaica playing the semi-finals of the Nations League, playing the Copa America finals is huge, not only for building this team, but also financially for the federation. The biggest thing is financial for the JFF, which doesn't have money. So, in many ways, it's a big thing," he pointed.
"In perspective, when building a team and you can play in a tournament like Copa America, for example, it helps a lot in the development because it is the only time that a coach can really spend with the players, a month to a month and a half.
"We are in another tournament, the semi-finals and, hopefully, the final of the Nations League. It allows us to be together much longer than the FIFA break, and, especially in Jamaica, players always come a day or two days too late because of distance. So it just gives us a chance to grow as a football team.
"After the World Cup, the Copa America is on the same scale as the Euros in terms of quality of teams there and quality individuals. So playing in the Copa America is huge for Jamaica," Hallgrimsson said.
