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My prediction Jamaica 2 USA 1

In reply to XDFIX

what became of the kid that went to Chelsea?

In reply to camos

Baby father, knee surgery, back in training now!!

Jamaica will be playing a 3-4-3 (this will morph into a 5-1-1-3 during the defending) with a line-up of:

GK : BLAKE
LB : BELL
CB : LOWE
RB : HOLGATE
WML: LEIGH
AM : PALMER
DM : LATIBUDIERRE
WMR: LEMBIKISA
LW : GREY
F : NICHOLSON
RW : BAILEY

In reply to XDFIX

ok!

In reply to JoeGrine

thought they put out a lineup with Antonio starting as #9?

In reply to camos

Antonio is not in the team playing in Jamaica (cards) but he should be joining the team for the USA return leg on Monday. Pinnock is out for both games. Ravel Morrison is on his way.....

In reply to XDFIX

the match is on TNT - pregame chats going on now

USA 1 JA 0 after 5 min

Its the best I have seen the stadium pitch in a long time

Oh wow - US goalie, Matt Turner save the penalty kick by Grey

In reply to birdseye

best I have ever seen it!

Common horse don’t win derby I guess!

We were robbed, but we had enough chances to win even with the non penalty call.

Holgate getting sent off did not affect the result but was rather stupid.

I think JA played well and showed confidence by holding the ball and making passes under pressure. That said, late in the game it looked like the defense wanted to concede another goal.

Promising.,,looking forward to the rematch.

BTW, Lowe did not get a yellow card…unless I missed it.

In reply to birdseye
Nuff rain

GAME ANALYSIS
1. The team is coming together, they just need to play more games together. This should make our going forward less robotic and ungainly.
2. Add, Ravel Morrison, Reiss Nelson, Lewis Baker and hopefully Mason Greenwood and we will arrive at the best we can be.
3. The coach asked Jamaica to high press a top CONCACAF team and for the most part we did a good job of it.
4. The field is atrocious, extremely soggy near corner flags and other spots on the field.
5. The referee missed a penalty for Jamaica. With VAR in operation, could Bailey (who rushed to take the resulting corner and a senior out player) have protested and delayed the second corner to bring more attention to the need to look at the VAR?


GK : BLAKE (7) - made an important save to preserve the deficit at one goal. He is still in need of work with ball distribution using his feet.
LB : BELL (6) - decent showing. Not sold on him as our preferred left-back (I prefer Leigh) the coach blundered having both players on the pitch simultaneously.
CB : LOWE (6.5) - good in defense, picked up his obligatory yellow card. He attempted fourteen passes out of the back and connected on two!!!!!!
RB : HOLGATE (5.5) - a more refined enforcer than Lowe, and a "hot head". He needs to be more measured with is going-forward inclinations.
WML: LEIGH (6) - was decent in attack and defending. He played a bit higher (due to Bell's inclusion) than normal.
AM : PALMER (5) - struggles to make the basic passes one would expect from an attacking midfielder. Pretty much a liability in defense, ball watches a lot.
DM : LATIBUDIERRE (6) - workmanlike performance but clearly not a top-quality defensive midfielder. He better understands the coach's system hence the start.
WMR: LEMBIKISA (6.5) for me, our standout defender. He combined well going forward.
LW : GREY (4.5) - this is not the same player who starred on debut for Jamaica. His game is totally out of sorts.
F : NICHOLSON (6.5) - had an admirable game utilizing his size and pace to good effect.
RW : BAILEY (5.5) - but for a wonderful release pass to Cephas and a curling corner kick, he continued his marginal play in the national colors.


SUBSTITUTES
LW : CEPHAS (6.5) - he added life to the team and created problems for the defense with his speed. Needs to make the quick pass to open players.
CDM: HAYDEN (5.5) - showed himself a good reader of the game with his subtle positioning which caused the USA to redirect their forward movements.
AM : MAGEE ( - did not impose himself on the game in a significant way. He is not ready for this level, however, he belongs in the team's long-term plan.
F : WILLIAMS ( ) - didn't do much in his 15 minutes to be graded.

In reply to JoeGrine

Very good review as per usual!

Why Dixon did not play?

In reply to camos

Dixon is a replacement for Bailey. Despite Bailey's lukewarm performance, I am unsure we can question the changes made. Unlike Coach Grimm, there is a lot of thought and sense in the changes effected by this coach.

Was that US ambassador Nick Perry sitting beside Holness at the game?

In reply to JoeGrine

This was a much improved performance from Bailey. (2 key passes, 3 of 3 long balls). No one else on the Reggae Boyz team had more key passes than Bailey. Almost scored directly from a corner kick. If anything he maybe tried a bit too hard to find Nicholson. Nicholson was very good in the 1st half but disappeared in the 2nd. Cephas was fast and foolish as usual. (Taking Hail Mary shots when his teammates were wide open). Hayden put in a decent shift considering that this was his 1st game and he isnt playing regularly at the club level. Palmer was poor. Dixon is not ready

In reply to JoeGrine

Thanks for review..totally forgot about the game..It is my contention that Bailey belongs..BUT as a central midfielder.
Jamaica's team is in need of an industrious,hard working,skillful player who can command respect in the middle and can provide
leadership beside,behind and before him on the field with his high work rate.

The talent is there but as someone says these guys have to play together more often to build rapport and understanding.
However with the Leagues and commitment on world stage, I can't see that happening.

In reply to hubert

Funny you should say that. Hallgrimmsson DID play Bailey there once and frankly it was the BEST game he had had for Jamaica up to that point and after.

In reply to hubert

Bailey at central midfield would be a disaster. He is better in space which is what the wing provides him. For whatever reason (I suspect ego among other things), his Premier League efforts (which are quite decent) do not translate to the national team. A central midfielder has vision and the ability to make accurate passes in split-second increments and on a consistent basis. They are also, by dint of their vision, able to clog passing lanes the opposition seeks to utilize. Withmore and Morrison are the only two Jamaicans in the last thirty years with this ability at this level. Jobi McAnuff, Jermaine Hue and Tyreek Magee are lower-level examples of this type of talent. Kasey Palmer belongs on the third level.

The return leg is gonna be very exciting and interesting!

I can't wait!

Btw, is Dixon that bad, why the coach doesn't give the youth a run?

The next Vere-Phoenix vs Cavalier is also gonna be an exciting match up!

Is Mona High losing it's way?

In reply to JoeGrine

Is Demarai Gray still in the premier league? He look so less capable than his previous appearances with JA

"Dimmi" is now playing in the Saudi Arabian league and his down turn for the national team has coincided with his move to the Gulf Region.

In reply to JoeGrine

Predictions

The USA enters the match as favorites, given their strong home record and recent performances.

However, Jamaica has shown resilience, which could pose a significant challenge, especially with their home support in the first leg.

Boyz 2 US 1

In reply to XDFIX

With your prediction, Jamaica advances. We haven't had much success in the USA so let's see.........

In reply to JoeGrine

I am tracking your reviews:

USA vs. Reggae Boyz First Leg Review

Jamaica was expected to at least hold the U.S. to a draw in their first-leg match, but unfortunately, the result was a great disappointment not only for the Boyz but also for the fans.

The U.S. struck the first blow by winning the match 1 nil.

Below is how one fan reviews the match.

1. The team is coming together; they just need to play more games together. This should make our approach less robotic and ungainly.
2. Add Ravel Morrison, Reiss Nelson, Lewis Baker, and hopefully Mason Greenwood, and we will arrive at the best we can be.
3. The coach asked Jamaica to high-press a top CONCACAF team, and they mostly did a good job.
4. The field was atrocious and extremely soggy near corner flags and other spots.
5. The referee missed a penalty for Jamaica. With VAR in operation, could Bailey (who rushed to take the resulting corner and a senior out player) have protested and delayed the second corner to bring more attention to the need to look at the VAR?

RATINGS:

GK: BLAKE (7) - made an important save to preserve the deficit at one goal. He still needs to work with ball distribution using his feet.
LB: BELL (6)—decent showing. I'm not sold on him as our preferred left-back (I prefer Leigh). The coach blundered by having both players on the pitch simultaneously.
CB: LOWE (6.5) - good in defense, picked up his obligatory yellow card. He attempted fourteen passes out of the back and connected on two!!!!!!
RB: HOLGATE (5.5) - a more refined enforcer than Lowe and a "hot head." He needs to be more measured with his going-forward inclinations.
WML: LEIGH (6) - was decent in attack and defending. He played a bit higher (due to Bell's inclusion) than usual.
AM: PALMER (5) - struggles to make the basic passes one would expect from an attacking midfielder. A liability in defense, the ball watches a lot.
DM: LATIBUDIERRE (6) - skillful performance but clearly not a top-quality defensive midfielder. He better understands the coach's system, hence the start.
WMR: LEMBIKISA (6.5) for me, our standout defender. He combined well going forward.
LW: GREY (4.5) - this is not the same player who starred on debut for Jamaica. His game is totally out of sorts.
F: NICHOLSON (6.5) - had an admirable game utilizing his size and pace to good effect.
RW: BAILEY (5.5) - but for a wonderful release pass to Cephas and a curling corner kick, he continued his marginal play in the national colors.

SUBSTITUTES:

LW: CEPHAS (6.5) - he added life to the team and created problems for the defense with his speed. He needs to make quick passes to open players.
CDM: HAYDEN (5.5) - He showed himself to be a good reader of the game with his subtle positioning, which caused the USA to redirect its forward movements.
AM: MAGEE (did not significantly impose himself on the game. He is not ready for this level; however, he belongs in the team's long-term plan.
F: WILLIAMS - did little in his 15 minutes to warrant a grade.

USA vs. Reggae Boyz Preview

The upcoming match between the USA and Jamaica, known as the "Reggae Boyz," is set to be an exciting clash in the CONCACAF Nations League Quarter-Finals. Here's a preview of what to expect:

Match Details

• Date: November 18, 2024
• Time: 8:00 PM EST
• Venue: CityPark, St. Louis, Missouri
• Broadcast: TNT, TruTV, Universo, Max, Peacock, and Fútbol de Primera Radio

Team Form

• USA: The U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) is coming off a 1-0 victory in the first leg of the quarter-final held in Kingston. Under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, the team has shown resilience and a strong defensive record.
• Jamaica: The Reggae Boyz have had an impressive run in the group stage, finishing top of Group B with an unbeaten record.

They are determined to secure their first-ever piece of continental silverware under the management of Steve McClaren.
Key Players to Watch

• USA: Brenden Aaronson, Weston McKennie, and Miles Robinson have been standout performers for the USMNT.
• Jamaica: Leon Bailey and Shamar Nicholson are key players for the Reggae Boyz, known for their attacking prowess.

Predictions

The USA enters the match as favorites, given their strong home record and recent performances.
However, Jamaica has shown resilience, which could pose a significant challenge, especially with their home support in the first leg.

My prediction is Reggae Boyz 2 US 1.

It's shaping up to be a thrilling encounter! Do you have a favorite team in this matchup?

In reply to JoeGrine

We can agree to disagree and I do so .Were I coaching Jamaica that is where he would be, midfield,central of either side.
He has the leadership ability,passing ability,also versatile and skillful.
What and how he is used in Premier League does not translate to Jamaica's needs.
At least he should be given the opportunity to be king server. On performance, I have not seen any outstanding midfielder
representing the country. There has to be consistent conduit for the men upfront.
So why after 30 years we have not had a Whitmore and yet Bailey is not capable of doing midfield duties ??
Who has ????

In reply to michaelmax

I have been saying this for a while. Did not see the game against USA. But I am not surprised by
your assessment of Bailey. He has the ability to make a positive difference in midfield which lacks
transition from defence attack. The numerous long and mostly wasteful long balls
from pressure in back to forward has not helped ball possession in all games I have seen.
Would like to see Bailey and Morrison in tandem as the key guys in that area of the field.

In reply to hubert

1. What leadership does Bailey display? Off the field he has berated his teammates, he turned down representation (which is his right) due to a party he was hosting. I have seen nothing of Bailey to suggest leadership. I have seen Premier League outings which suggest he should be a much better national player.

2. He has some pace and those skills (does not include deft passes) are best utilized out wide. Bayern Leverkusen and Aston Villa agrees with me. You don't but we move on.

3. You have not seen any outstanding midfielders? Though not as sublime as a decade ago, Morrison has been outstanding for Jamaica (you can see his videos online).

4. A conduit for the men upfront - this iteration of the Jamaican team has the conduit, it is Lowe (chief of them all) and Holgate making long kicks (presumably to the "men up front") to the opposing defense for them to relaunch their attacks. Even when Morrison plays, he has to go back deep to DEMAND the ball from Lowe. The transition from defense to attack (which we both seem to crave) demands two things (1) a midfielder who has the vision and creativity (and respect from the opposition of said traits)which forces the oppostion to account for them as the opposition attack and defend often designating at least one maker on a non-stop basis on this player (2) a defense that understands why midfielders were once referred to as LINKMEM!

In reply to hubert

I look forward to seeing what Ravel Morrison brings to the pitch!

Antonio and Dixon dropped out because of passport issues!

Return leg starting line-up:

GK : BLAKE
LB : BELL
CB : BERNARD
CB : LOWE
RB : T.GRAY
CDM: HAYDEN
AM : MAGEE
M : LATIBEAUDERE
LW : D.GRAY
F : NICHOLSON
RW: BAILEY

8 pm EST kickoff, TNT streaming for US based folks.

In reply to camos

Wow! USA HIT the post 3 minutes in

Dis done

I don’t recognize this Jamaican team at all.

So passive. WTF???

Nice goaaal Gray
3 - 1

In reply to Chrissy

This now looks like the Jamaica I have known. They putting in a shift at the start of the 2nd half. And nice finish by Gray.

However, as I type….Weah scores a beauty 4th.

Steupes

In reply to imusic

stopped watching at half time - guess i missed the best half. at least yard recoup some life.. there is hope

RECAP

COACHING
1. You cannot be trying to win a game and start a back four plus Hayden and Latibeaudiere. That is way too defensive.
2. Get to know your players so you can place them in their optimal positions. For some, that is the bench or not in the squad.
3. Tell me Lembikisa (who was arguably our best player in the first leg) is ill therefore, he was not in the starting line-up.
4. Ethan Pinnock's leadership in the back was for the second game, badly needed.
5. Down 0-3 in a game you must win, you substitute a midfielder (Magee) with a defender (King)!!!!

GRADES
GK : BLAKE - (5.0) his lack of adequate footwork with the ball at his feet led to the 3rd goal. He was also tentative resulting in the first goal.
LB : BELL - (6.5) one of his better showing. It could be that team USA realized T. Gray was on the other side so why pick on Bell when Coach McLaren gave them the gift of (T. Gray) on the right.
CB : BERNARD - (5.0) not in harmony with Lowe, he didn't do much wrong neither was he outstanding.
CB : LOWE - (6.0) the coach has to let him know he is a central defender not a linkman. With Magee wide open he attempted a defense-splitting pass to Nicholson which resulted in a turnover. Should probably get a higher grade for avoiding a yellow-card.
RB : T.GRAY - (3.0) he is who he is, average, slow-footed, and not a good reader of the game.
CDM: HAYDEN - (8.0) he belongs. His reading of the game as evidenced by his positional play was for me one of the few highlights on the night. His interchange with Bailey led to goal #1.
AM : MAGEE - (4.0) this is not Manning Cup and those hollering for him to start need to stop it. He absolutely does not tackle. He does not demand the ball. On one occasion Jamaica had the ball and instead of running into space to demand the ball he goes and attaches himself to Pulicic - I said "Jamaica had the ball"!
M : LATIBEAUDERE - (5.0) a trying man. We need more than that at this level.
LW : D.GRAY - (8.5) - a welcome return to form and his two goals were clinical. A rarity for a Jamaican to score twice at this level. He also had a decent strike in the first-half.
F : NICHOLSON - (5.0) it is hard to grade a forward who seldom gets a sniff of the ball. He should have done more with those sniffs he got.
RW: BAILEY - (5.0) when he wasn't tripping over himself he more often than not turned over the ball one of which resulted in the first goal. Made a few good plays including the build-up to goal #1.

SUBSTITUTES
KING - (6.0) showed (not for the first time) he belongs at this level.
CEPHAS - (7.0) I will repeat what I have said before. He cannot be kept out of a Jamaican squad. His pace will be attracting teams outside of Turkey.
LEIGH - (5.5) should have started at RB instead of T. Gray.
ANDERSON - (4.0) showed (not for the first time) that he does not belong at this level.
WILLIAMS - did nothing to mention.

WRAP-UP
1. Please thank the following for their services - Anderson, Williams, and Palmer.
2. Please note these are bench players - Magee, Latibeaudiere.
3. Please consider drafting in Lambert (or the best local CDM) to learn from Hayden.
4. Lock in Greenwood, Nelson and Baker.

In reply to JoeGrine

Fantastic analysis – and so quick. Great work

In reply to JoeGrine

Cephas was impressive for the short time he was on the field.

D Gray was arguably your best player

In reply to imusic

My grades agree with you........

In reply to birdseye

Appreciated.

In reply to birdseye

I was once thinking that he would be called up for England,I think he is in Saudi Arabia with a team,that's it mate plenty money.

In reply to JoeGrine

Missed out on the game again..always value your review/grades.
Tell me this though. Does the team have a play maker and do they need
even one ?
BTW, asking Jamaica to beat USA away is not credible. The team whatever the
line up is lacking cohesion as the players need to play more together and
get a better understanding of one another's strengths in order to become a
fine-tuned and good consistency.
.
It is virtually impossible for more games together as the Players have their
commitments to various leagues and are only available on FIFA dates.

The coaching staff is at major disadvantage in this regard and deserve
some sympathy here. It is tough on any coach to be able to sort out his
best starting eleven at all times from game to game.

It would be much easier of course if the coach is seeing the talent on
display in a top notch local league, but that is yet future.

In reply to JoeGrine

Excellent analysis, as per usual!

I thought the coach would have given Ravel Morrison a run; what gives?

It seems like the coach doesn't subscribe to playing attacking football!

The boyz played better in the first leg!

By the way, my prediction was way off!

US 1 Boyz 2 - I don't know what they call that type of bet in horse racing!

In reply to XDFIX

Yanks missed a few sitters. Could have been 6 in Jam onion bag. Jam spurned 2 at point blank. Score reflects what happened on the pitch. Yanks were superior. Jam has a handful of quality players.

In reply to hubert

In CONCACAF you do need a playmaker to spring open the forwards as stout defending is a hallmark of CONCACAF. Ravel Morrison is that playmaker.




This is 21st-century football, teams seldom play friendlies as the various leagues take precedence. The USA line-up has been fixed for a while, we are just getting there. I would hope that coming out of the Nations League (NL) we now have a basic understanding of who is worthy of being in the squad and starting eleven.



Most national team only assemble their squads a few days before an engagement. Jamaica is one such team. Teams like Panama and Honduras have the bulk of their players at hand so they will always play cohesive football. Jamaica will have a tough time qualifying for the World Cup, this despite USA, Mexico, and Canada qualifying as hosts. The aforementioned Panama, Honduras, plus Costa Rica, Haiti and Guatemala will be gunning for places.

With the NL now over for Jamaica I think we can build around the following 24:
GK - Blake
D - Lembikisa (he was ill hence his non-start last night)
D - Bernard
D - Pinnock
D - Leigh
M - Hayden
M - Decordova-Reid
M - Morrison
F - Nelson/Bailey
F - Greenwood/Antonio
F - Gray

OTHERS
GK - Boyce-Clarke/Waite
D - King/Lowe/Bell/Holgate
M - Baker/Magee/Latibeaudiere
F - Nicholson/Cephas/

TBH i don't understand this CONCACAF Nations League that's taking place,looks like 100 countries with so many Dots taking part,surely there must have been a more easier way than how it's going.Let's take Jamaica,they must be the second or third best team in CONCACAF, what is going to happen to them now,surely they must still be in,It would be nice to know.

In reply to JoeGrine

Agree wholeheartedly on Ravel..Not being up to date with things, I thought he was retired or
not available..And I know very little about the 'foreign' Jamaicans as i long ceased paying close attention to Premier League etc
and can't recall last time I saw any of their games.
As such can't argue with the proposed names to have listed although a way should be found to include the
young former KC guy 'Whisper' who is now with a Premier League club.
Very disappointed that USA still has the wood over us.
One thing I would ask is that the Foreign coaches be allowed some slack as it is not easy, for several reasons to be
very successful with Jamaica teams. Gonna take time. And it is paramount that the home based
talent be given opportunities to develop with regular games ,even friendlies and bilateral with other countries outside
of FIFA/CONCACAF obligations.
Jamaica has never lacked for talent. Commitment and perseverance with development is critical. It will also serve to
raise the level of local top League which should lead to full professionalism. That's my hope which i would like to see
fulfilled.

In reply to hubert

He is not ready at this time. Furthermore, he is coming off a surgery.



Hubert where is this talent that you and so many others speak of? For my money, in the last 15 years, the only talents I have seen coming out of the high school system (which is our breeding ground) are:

"Whisper" - KC (with Chelsea U-21)
Dixon - Clarendon (with Charlton Athletics)
Satchwell - STATHS (in Slovenia)
Douglas - Clarendon (???)
King - (JPL)
Parris - Dinthill (Azerbaijan)


all else are glorified high school "ballas"

In reply to granite

That is incorrect, the following teams are ranked ahead of Jamaica in the CONCACAF area:

1. Mexico
2. Canada
3. USA
4. Panama
5. Costa Rica

[b]In reply to JoeGrine
OK I can't argue with Rankings at the moment, but sometimes Rankings make me wonder,didn't Jamaica put a good come from behind win against Canada not long ago,that first match against USA should have at least been a draw,I feel Jamaica is close to being in the first 5,I'll give them another year, and they most likely could be challenging for top spots 1,2 or 3.Respect to you Sir.

In reply to granite

In reply to granite

I was just giving the present rankings. Like you, I can see Jamaica moving up the rankings.