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McClaren: Not an easy road
October 13, 2025
Following their 2-0 loss to Curacao in the Group B World Cup Qualifying away fixture, Jamaica's head coach Steve McClaren insists that it's not an easy road to qualify for next year's Finals.
Goals from Livano Comenencia (14th minute) and Kenji Gorre at the Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad sealed a deserved victory that left the Caribbean minnows atop Group B.
"I've said to the players, this group is not going to be easy. This was never going to be an easy game. We've lost control of the group. We had control and we lost control. But we've got enough games to play where we can get control back," the head coach said.
The defeat was Jamaica's first in three matches in the final round, and McClaren emphasised his expectations that the battle for a place in the tournament to be hosted by Concacaf countries the United States, Canada and Mexico will go down to the last window in November.
On Friday, the Englishman made five changes to the team that won their first two matches against Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago.
He pointed out that they were under pressure for the first 20 minutes of the first half, during which the home team scored; and that the Reggae Boyz did not win enough of their duels to control midfield in the first half.
"We didn't get control, especially in the first 20 minutes, (in) the midfield area, which is their strength. Bobby (Reid) has played there before in a double six against St Vincent and I've seen him play there for his club as well. But we didn't win enough duels. All those balls they won," McClaren lamented.
"Once we conceded the first goal we fought back. We created lots of chances, clear chances, and the offside goal summed up the evening. Feels like we were never going to score," he commented post match.
The result left Jamaica second in the four-team group with six points, one behind leaders Curacao, and two ahead of Trinidad and Tobago which registered a 3-0 win over Bermuda, also on Friday.
Curacao will host Trinidad and Tobago tomorrow in the group's other game.
Only the group winner is guaranteed direct qualification to the World Cup. The two best second-placed teams across the three groups in Concacaf will turn their attention to inter-continental playoffs where additional opportunities to qualify are available.
"In terms of where we wanted to be now, we are not where we want to be. We wanted to top the group and stay in control of the group. Now we have to make sure we win on Tuesday," he said, pointing to tomorrow's return game against Bermuda at the National Stadium in Kingston.
"People said to me, if we won tonight (Friday) we have one foot in (World Cup). But football is never like that, never, and I have said all the way, even after the first two wins, the qualification, who finishes top, is always going to go down to the last game.
"I have lots of experience and I said at the beginning, that all groups will be the same. It will all go down to the last two games. I don't think any one in the groups have any right to go all the way through," McClaren remarked.
"We knew it was going to be difficult. If we could get a result, a win or a draw, we would still control the group. We have lost that control, so we need to get it right and we are capable of doing that," he said.
He added that claiming all three points from Bermuda on Tuesday is a must, but maintained that game will not be easy either, despite Bermuda losing all three matches to date.
"We have to win Tuesday and prepare well for the two deciding games (against Trinidad and Tobago and Curacao).
"We have to win on Tuesday. We have to make sure. We have tough games against Trinidad and Curacao, so it's not going to be easy.".
