WITH THE Reggae Boyz set to face their first South American opponents in the Copa America today, head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the team will exercise caution against a ‘tough’ to break down Ecuador team.
Jamaica and Ecuador both enter today’s fixture at the bottom of Group B following defeats to Mexico and Venezuela respectively.
Hallgrimsson said the team will need to be wary of conceding against Ecuador.
“It is going to be a tough match, a really tough match,” he said.
“We need to be aware of that. We cannot go all in and concede a goal because it is difficult to get back against a team like Ecuador. We need to be careful, but we need to be brave as well. There needs to be a calculated risk that we take.”
According to Hallgrimsson, Ecuador have often proven they are difficult opponents to score against even when facing some of the best teams in South America.
Ecuador conceded twice against Venezuela in their opening game but Hallgrimsson said playing with 10 players for the majority of the match was likely to have taken a toll.
Ecuador had come into Group B as favourites, a tag, he said, was well earned.
“They came into the group for the media as favourites and have done brilliant results prior to the tournament. They are a tough team to beat and to play against and they have managed to get good results against the biggest teams in South America.
“It is always low-scoring matches. They conceded two goals though against Venezuela but this is after they had been playing one man down for about 40-50 minutes.”
Hallgrimsson said the match will be a must-win game for both coaches. Being good friends with his opposite number Félix Sánchez, Hallgrimsson expects an exciting encounter.
The coach believes the Boyz are ready to match their South American opponents on the field.
Jamaica’s chances will be boosted with the fact all the players are healthy and available for selection.
Hallgrimsson said there have been positive showings from all the players during the team’s training sessions with each player fighting for their chance to compete.
“Everybody is fit and ready and that’s a good sign,” he said.
“We’re closing into our second week. Everybody is fresh and everybody wants to play the big games for Jamaica, so everybody is fighting for a spot in the team so that’s a good and healthy side.”
The match is set to kick off at the Allegiant Stadium at 5:00 p.m.
Source link : https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20240626/taste-tough-south-america
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Publish date : 2024-06-26 01:11:38
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