Speid sees fight, faith and a spark of revival in Boyz’ dramatic win
Reggae Boyz interim Head Coach, Rudolph Speid
Key Points(5)
- Rudolph Speid saw more than a dramatic victory in Jamaica’s 3-2 comeback against Guatemala on Friday night.
- For the Reggae Boyz head coach, the late winner from Renaldo Cephas represented something potentially more significant, evidence that Jamaica’s senior men are willing to keep fighting when a match appears to be slipping away.
- Guatemala struck inside the opening two minutes and twice held Jamaica level after the home side had fought back.
- Yet the Boyz continued to push until Cephas settled the contest in stoppage time, giving Speid his first international victory on home soil.
- “At no point in time did we give up trying to get the win,” Speid said after the match.
Rudolph Speid saw more than a dramatic victory in Jamaica’s 3-2 comeback against Guatemala on Friday night.
For the Reggae Boyz head coach, the late winner from Renaldo Cephas represented something potentially more significant, evidence that Jamaica’s senior men are willing to keep fighting when a match appears to be slipping away.
Guatemala struck inside the opening two minutes and twice held Jamaica level after the home side had fought back. Yet the Boyz continued to push until Cephas settled the contest in stoppage time, giving Speid his first international victory on home soil.
“At no point in time did we give up trying to get the win,” Speid said after the match. “We pressed right through to the end.”
That response, more than the scoreline itself, was the aspect that pleased Speid most as Jamaica turned a difficult opening into three points in their Concacaf Nations League A campaign.
A response under pressure
Jamaica had substantial possession of the ball, albeit useless, as it was kept circulating at the back with the visitors compressed in their own half behind the ball.
Speid recognized that possession alone would not be enough and altered his approach at the start of the second half as Guatemala had repeatedly exposed opportunities along the flanks during the first 45 minutes.
The Boyz moved from a back three to a back four, while Kaheim Dixon and Renaldo Cephas were introduced to inject greater speed into the attack.
“I realised that we could get some joy by putting some more rapid players down the pitch,” Speid explained. “I thought in the first half, we wanted to have more control of the game, which we did. The second half was time for us to take chances and use faster players and that’s what we did.”
Cephas ultimately supplied the decisive moment, while Dixon's pace and trickery continued to trouble the Guatemalan defense.
Speid also pointed to the defensive adjustment as an important response to Guatemala's attacking approach.
“The way they scored the goals, they had opportunities to play through the sides, so I thought that adjustment in shape would work better and it did.”
No room for complacency
The victory, however, did not disguise the areas Speid believes must improve.
Jamaica conceded twice, including Guatemala's second goal after a mistake by veteran defender Damion Lowe, and Speid knows those lapses will carry greater consequences against stronger opposition.
Honduras, Jamaica's next opponent, will arrive at the National Stadium on Monday having lost 2-3 to Suriname in its opening match and needing points to keep its quarterfinal hopes alive.
Speid expects a more difficult encounter, particularly because Honduras has now had the opportunity to study Jamaica's opening performance.
“I expect them to be tough,” he said. “I expect them to be willing to work because they will have seen us play and have a good understanding of what we’re likely to do.”
With the turnaround between matches short and the demands of travel and player management adding to the challenge, Speid is also prepared to alter his tactical setup again.
“I am one of those coaches that tries different things,” he said. “Fortune favours the brave. So, yes, you could see me playing a back three next. You could see a back four. That’s really who I am.”
Speid wants Jamaica back behind the Boyz
Friday's victory also carried significance because it marked Jamaica's return to the National Stadium for the first time since the 0-0 draw with Curaçao last November ended their automatic World Cup qualification hopes.
The contrast in attendance was stark.
A capacity crowd had filled the stadium for that decisive World Cup qualifier, while Friday's match attracted only a little more than 3,000 spectators. FIFA president Gianni Infantino was among those in attendance, but the atmosphere was subdued, particularly after Oscar Santis gave Guatemala an early lead.
For Speid, rebuilding the national team also means rebuilding the connection with its supporters.
“It was good to coach the national team in front of our crowd and get a win, because we really need the spectators to come back to the stadium,” he said. “I think with this excitement, I’m hoping that Monday, a lot more people will come.”
‘We are going to fight’
For Speid, the immediate priority is straightforward: keep improving while maintaining the fighting character displayed against Guatemala.
Jamaica and Suriname enter the second round of Group B on three points, with El Salvador leading on goal difference after beating Martinique 3-1. Honduras began the campaign without a point following its loss to Suriname.
Only the top two teams will advance to the Nations League quarterfinals in November, making Monday's encounter another important test of Jamaica's ability to respond under pressure.
Speid's assessment of the challenge was summed up in the phrase he repeatedly returned to after the Guatemala victory, one that speaks as much to his expectations of the team's character as its immediate results.
“But this is Jamaica,” he said. “We are going to fight every step of the way and try to play properly while we’re doing it and see what happens.”
