KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Defender Kemar Lawrence has assured fans that last Friday’s shock defeat to Nicaragua has not damaged Jamaica’s confidence, ahead of their crucial return leg in their third round 2018 World Cup qualifier today in Managua.
Jamaica, the highest ranked Caribbean side in FIFA at 52nd, were stunned 3-2 by 139th-ranked Nicaragua in the first leg of the tie at Independence Park, putting their World Cup qualification hopes in jeopardy.
However, Lawrence said the Reggae Boyz were not intimidated and were confident of rescuing the tie with a solid performance on Tuesday.
“Right now, it’s how we progress from here. I don’t think this will break our team spirit,” the New Red Bulls player told the Jamaica Observer newspaper.
“The focus is going there and winning the game by as wide a margin as possible. We can’t think about anything else. We are going there to win and progress to the next round.”
Entering the contest as the heavy favourites, Jamaica astonishingly found themselves trailing 0-3 inside the first hour. They then desperately laid siege to Nicaragua’s goal, managing to pull two goals back through Darren Mattocks and Adrian Mariappa.
Lawrence said Jamaica planned to take the attack to the Nicaraguans but warned that the visitors needed to capitalize on their chances.
“We have to be sharper in front of goal and definitely defensive-wise. With the corners we definitely have to pick it up on the training ground and try to focus on scoring,” he pointed out.
“It’s obvious we are going to get chances. We are expecting them to sit back, we are going to push the game, and we are definitely going through. And defensively, there can be no more sloppy plays, no more mistakes; we have to be tight coming out of the back.”
Lawrence, however, dismissed suggestions the Reggae Boyz had been guilty of complacency in the first leg.
“I don’t think it was complacency. The players knew what we wanted to do but it’s just unfortunate that we went down by errors that can happen in football to the most professional of players,” he explained.
“It’s just football, it has nothing to do with complacency. I was expecting them to be a good team; not expecting a walkover.”
