Jamaica’s head coach Steve McClaren was effusive in his praise after watching his Reggae Boyz side defeat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in Tuesday night’s Concacaf World Cup qualifier at Kingston’s National Stadium.
“I think we started the game so well, in the first 20, 25 minutes, had opportunities to score, the first goal is always important,” McClaren reflected. “We had luck with the first goal for Trinidad, it was disallowed—VAR makes a decision and we saw it was offside. The first goal is always important, and we got it. From there we controlled the game, in possession and out of possession,” he claimed.
Despite missing eight regular starters due to injuries, McClaren’s squad has now collected six points from two games. “Credit to the players, I think they’ve done a remarkable job. Along the way they’ve had difficulties … but we found what I call nuggets in terms of new players. No one better than Cadamarteri (Bailey),” he said, hailing the 20-year-old debutant striker.
Cadamarteri opens his account
The deadlock was broken in the 36th minute when Greg Leigh rose to head down inside the area, and Cadamarteri reacted quickest, spinning past his marker and drilling low beyond Trinidad goalkeeper Denzil Smith. It was the Leeds-born forward’s first international goal, coming on his second cap and home debut.
McClaren called it a breakthrough moment: “When you don’t have Warner Brown, who has been our first choice, and you bring a young player in like Cadamarteri … he’s done a remarkable job because to win you have to be effective and score goals, and he can do that.”
But the strike arrived only after the Soca Warriors thought they had taken the lead. In the 29th minute, Levi Garcia—serving as stand-in captain—curled a fine effort into the net, only for VAR to rule it out for the narrowest of offsides. It was the first of three disallowed goals for Garcia on a luckless night.
Russell doubles the lead amid VAR drama
Jamaica’s second came just before the hour mark, though not without controversy. In the 57th minute, Trinidad defender Kobi Henry misplayed a backpass directly into Jon Russell’s path. Standing in an offside position, Russell lashed home gleefully. After an extended VAR check, the referee upheld the goal, judging it to be a deliberate backpass rather than a deflection.
The Soca Warriors kept pushing, and Garcia twice more found the net—on 63 and 71 minutes—but both were ruled offside. By the end, the visitors had enjoyed 55 percent possession, attempted 13 shots to Jamaica’s 10, and completed far more passes. Still, McClaren’s men held firm for a second straight clean sheet.
A tribute in victory
The night carried a deeper resonance for Jamaica. On the very day the country mourned the passing of 74-year-old football icon Allan “Skill” Cole, the Reggae Boyz produced a fitting tribute in front of more than 25,000 fans.
“I’m absolutely delighted for the players,” McClaren said. “It’s been a pleasure to work with them—the energy, the attitude. Okay, we made mistakes, that’s inexperience, we got nervous, that’s inexperience too. But we kept a clean sheet, we created chances, and we looked like a hard-working team, difficult to beat with speed and pace.”
He singled out midfield anchors for balancing creativity with discipline. “We took risks playing Kasey Palmer and Jon Russell who like to get forward, but the unsung hero is Isaac Hayden. You don’t see him much but he quietly goes about his job, fills in for people and is a real rock in there. It’s disappointing he got the second booking, because we’ll miss him in the next game.”
Warriors left to rue missed chances
For Trinidad and Tobago, it was another frustrating night under coach Dwight Yorke, whose winless streak has now stretched to six matches. Despite enjoying much of the play, they lacked the finishing touch—and VAR proved merciless.
The qualifiers resume October 10, with Jamaica traveling to Curaçao and Trinidad and Tobago heading to Bermuda. McClaren, while satisfied with the perfect start, remained cautious: “We are really pleased with the start, but it’s only the beginning—and tougher games lie ahead.”
