Reggae Boyz Captain Andre Blake has promised that the team he leads onto the pitch at the National Stadium in San Jose tonight will “fight” to the end.
In Sunday’s 0-3 mauling to Panama inside their own National Stadium in Kingston, the Reggae Boyz were accused of displaying a lack hunger and desire, and Blake appears to be substantiating those claims.
“Training was good, it is a big moment, it’s another opportunity for us to go out there and fight and I know, if nothing else tonight, the boys are going to fight,” he said.
“We know what’s at stake so we are just going to go out there and fight and do our best,” he added.
The Boyz are bottom of the eight-team final round standing without a point. The group is being led by Mexico with a maximum of six points, followed by Panama on four points, with the USA, Honduras, Canada, and El Salvador on two points. Costa Rica are on one point.
Blake added: “They are a good team, we match up very well against them and they are on their home turf, but we are going to go out and try to dictate the tempo of the game and play to our strengths and hopefully, at the end of the 90 (minutes) we can have a favourable result.”
Meanwhile, senior player Damion Lowe, who missed Sunday’s humiliation but was a part of the 1-2 loss to Mexico on the Azteca, said the Boyz must start winning today, even though they have never won away to Costa Rica.
He said based on recent encounters, “they know we are a good team and if we finished our chances they would be punished, but we also, respect them, they are a very experienced team, they have been to what, maybe three, four World Cup cycles with the same squad so we have to put that in mind.
“They know how to play World Cup football and World Cup qualifying football, but yes they haven’t been getting points on the board, so it’s a big game for both of us, both of us need points, both of us are very optimistic about our qualification hopes, so to be honest we need to get it right.
“As a nation, we need to get out the blocks, we need to get points on the board and we need a win, and it has to start today,” Lowe said.
