The stage was set for a bumper crowd to turn out in support of the Reggae Boyz when they faced the United States of America in the first of a two-legged tie in their Concacaf Nations Cup quarterfinals at the National Stadium in Kingston on Thursday night and the fans didn’t disappoint.

After a series of good performances under new coach, Steve McLaren, and good crowd support in the last two matches at the stadium the fans who have always enjoyed the fierce contest between the two nations in Concacaf tournaments were expectant of a good match and win on local soil. 

Long before the first whistle, the stadium was near capacity with a sea of gold-clad fans eager to cheer on their team to success against the star-studded USA team coached by internationally renowned coach Mauricio Pochettino.

However, the crowd was stunned into silence when Ricardo Pepi, who plays for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, scored in just the fifth minute of play. But the Boyz never dropped their heads and took the match to the Americans and earned a penalty in the 14^th minute. They were left disappointed, however, when winger Demarai Gray saw his spot kick saved by Matt Turner.

The Boyz continued to battle bravely throughout the rest of the half without meaningfully challenging the USA defence.

A change in formation and personnel in the second half saw the Jamaicans having more possession of the ball and creating more goal-scoring opportunities forcing the USA to defend for longer periods in the match.

The introduction of Renaldo Cephas and Tyreke Magee, in particular, saw Jamaica coming close to scoring as they repeatedly got behind the US defence but frustratingly could not get the ball into the back of the net as the Pepi goal proved to be the match-winner. 

Head Coach Steve McLaren had nothing but good things to say about his players despite the 0-1 loss. 

“I’m proud of the team, the way they fought after going one goal down after only five minutes. We changed things at half-time, and we changed things midway through the second half and I think we dominated,” McLaren shared.

“I’m proud of the players for their performance, the way they worked, the way they defended the way they pressed the way they created. I was very proud of the players, all of them. It’s 1-0, it’s half-time. We are in the tie, and we have a chance on Monday,” he said. 

Reggae Boyz Vice Captain Damion Lowe was also proud of how the team competed on Thursday night. 

“I think we gave it our all. We got two opportunities the scoreline doesn’t attest to how we performed but football is a cruel sport, and we just have to take our chances. It’s a two-way tie so, it’s a quick turnaround. A year ago, it was the same predicament, so we just have to do it again,” he said. 

The return leg will be played in St Louis on Monday night with the winning team on aggregate advancing to the semifinals. 

Adding their voice to the nation’s support, Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum, longtime supporters and sponsors of Jamaican football praised the Reggae Boyz for their determination.

“As Jamaicans, we’re immensely proud of how the Reggae Boyz represented the heart and spirit of our nation. They showcased resilience, determination, and teamwork, which are the very values we celebrate at Wray and Nephew,” said Kerry Ann Bryan, brand manager for Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum.

“We’re behind them all the way as they take on the USA in the second leg. Let’s rally together, bring the energy, and show the world the true spirit of Jamaica.”