Blake confident about Gold Cup campaign
Published:Thursday | June 22, 2023 | 1:37 AM
JAMAICA’s REGGAE Boyz may have yet to taste victory under coach Heimir Hallgrimsson after seven matches, but captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake is confident the team will come good at the Concacaf Gold Cup, which kicks off on Saturday.
With English Premier League standouts such as Leon Bailey, Michail Antonio, Demarai Gray, Ethon Pinnock and Bobby Reid in the squad, Blake thinks this is arguably the most talented squad of players Jamaica has ever assembled for a Gold Cup.
However, he was quick to point out that names alone do not win a competition and that players must be prepared to do the dirty work if they intend go all the way.
“The players are very motivated. I don’t have any concerns,” Blake said after defeats to Qatar and Jordan in international friendlies in Austria recently.
“It is not all about winning but don’t mistake that for not wanting to win. But if you focus on doing the right things consistently, everything will take care of itself.
“We have a very talented group. I have been to a few of these tournaments before. I have been to two finals and I can confidently say this is the most talented group we are going to have going into the Gold Cup.”
OPENING GAME
The Reggae Boyz are placed in Group A with defending champions USA, who they play in their opening game on Saturday at the Soldier Field in Chicago, Trinidad and Tobago and St Kitts and Nevis.
The top two teams will progress to the quarterfinals and Jamaica are highly favoured to advance to the next stage, but Blake said it will take the full commitment and effort of every player if they are to have a successful tournament.
“I am also experienced enough to know that talent or names on paper do not win this tournament. This is Concacaf and it takes a lot of running, fighting, commitment. So if we can get all the players to do the dirty work without the ball, I have no doubt because we have the talent to be really good with the ball.
“So it is going to come down to how much are we willing to suffer without the ball because this is a tournament and it’s about surviving and advancing,” he said.
Blake, who has been to two Gold Cup finals in 2015 and 2017, although he missed the second final because of a finger injury, said no one will remember how they got the job done and that the priority at the tournament will be getting results.
“It doesn’t need to be pretty if at the end of the 90 minutes you are moving forward or you win the trophy, nobody will ever care how you played.”