Jamaica’s national football team, the Reggae Boyz, composed mainly of fringe players, is set to take on Guatemala in an international friendly at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, on Saturday, with the kickoff scheduled for 7:00 pm.
This friendly match comes just before the Reggae Boyz face Canada in a critical CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final, which will be a home-and-away contest beginning the following Friday at Kingston’s National Stadium. The scheduling of this friendly outside the FIFA window was not the preferred choice for head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, given the importance of the upcoming Canada matches.
As a result, the coaching staff has primarily selected domestic players, along with some who play in the lower leagues of the United States. Hallgrimsson explained, “We thought it was not appropriate to play a game, a friendly game prior to such an important game like Canada is, probably [it] is a long time since Jamaica played as important games as the two Canada games we have in front of us.”
Team’s determination to win
The focus of the selection has been on giving fringe players and those from domestic and lower-league backgrounds an opportunity to showcase their skills. Hallgrimsson mentioned that the plan of the technical staff is to use the months of January and February for friendly games to scout potential talents.
Despite having only two training sessions to prepare for the game, Coach Hallgrimsson expressed the team’s determination to win. However, he acknowledged the advantage that Guatemala holds, as they have had more time together under their coach and possess a squad with substantial continuity.
The Reggae Boyz squad for the match includes first-time invitee Jonathan Bell, a 26-year-old American-born defender playing for Major League Soccer side St. Louis City. It also marks the return of midfielder Tyreek Magee and striker Maalique Foster, with Foster making his comeback after a four-year absence from the national team.
The squad consists of: Amal Knight, Jahmali Waite, Richard King, Kyle Ming, Jamoi Topey, Lamonth Rochester, Damani Osei, Jonathan Bell, Javain Brown, Shaniel Thomas, Trayvone Reid, Shaqeil Bradford, Devon Williams, Demario Phillips, Ramone Howell, Tyreek Magee, Romario Williams, Deshane Beckford, and Maalique Foster.
