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• Magee eager to make mark in Concacaf Nations League on return to Reggae Boyz setup

  After almost a year on the outside watching from a distance, Tyreek Magee is now buzzing with excitement about his return to Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz set up for their upcoming Concacaf Nations League fixtures against Nicaragua and Honduras.

  Magee, whose name is synonymous with flair and creativity in the midfield, seems set to make his first senior Reggae Boyz appearance since late last year, and it is an opportunity he is hoping to grasp with a showcase his growth to once again re-establish himself on the international stage.

  The 25-year-old has been holding his own in the USL Championship with Colorado Switchbacks, scoring three goals in 13 appearances, as he has impressed fans and critics alike with his performances this season.

  Magee’s consistent displays and creative vision caught the eye of Reggae Boyz Head coach, Steve McClaren, who believes his inclusion could bolster a squad brimming with attacking talent for the October 10 and 14 League A encounters.

  For Magee, the return to the national fold is both a validation of his hard work and a stepping stone for what’s to come.

  “I'm definitely happy to be back in the squad. It's been a while now, so I'm looking forward to it,” Magee, who has 10 international caps, said in an interview ahead of the team’s departure for Nicaragua.

  

  “I’m excited and looking forward to making the most of this opportunity. As I said before, it’s been a while since I’ve been with the squad, and I’ve been putting in a lot of work to make sure I’m ready. I need to affect the games as much as possible, so whatever minutes I get, I need to make the most of it so I'm really looking forward to these two games,” he added.

  The former Jamaica College and Harbour View FC standout has had an eventful journey since leaving the island for opportunities abroad. After a four-year spell in Belgium with KAS Eupen, Magee found his rhythm again in the USL, where he has been lauded for his technical ability and leadership on the pitch.

  Despite the challenges of adjusting to different leagues and styles of play, Magee never lost sight of his goal—returning to the Reggae Boyz setup. His inclusion in the squad comes at a pivotal time for Jamaica, as they look to secure vital points in the Nations League and continue building momentum under McClaren’s leadership.

  These upcoming matches — away to Nicaragua on Thursday and at home to Honduras next Monday — are crucial in shaping the Boyz’ path toward potential qualification for the Concacaf Gold Cup and, ultimately, the 2026 World Cup.

  The Boyz currently head Group B on four points, same as Nicaragua, with Honduras (three points) and Cuba (two points) in close quarters. French Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago round out the group with a point each.

  McClaren, who took over the reins earlier this year, has emphasized a possession-based style with a focus on midfield creativity, making Magee’s return particularly timely.

  “I’ve always looked for a number 10; a creative player out of the box, somebody who can change games and I asked Merron [Gordon] and he recommended Tyreek [Magee]. I had a little look at him and I liked him. This boy has ability, skill, and can change a game and I said yeah, we’ll give him a chance. That’s what I aim to do,” McClaren shared.

  

  With the window of opportunity now opened up for the midfielder, Magee’s focus is clear—perform well, seize the opportunity, and help the team achieve its goals.

  “I’ve learned a lot over the past year about myself and about my game. I did a lot of self-searching and stuff where I was just thinking to myself, like, what I want from football and stuff like that, and I feel like it's been helping me so far. I’m in a good place right now, and I want to show that on the field, so I’m ready to give everything for the team,” Magee declared.

  Another exciting prospect of Magee’s call-up is the fact that he could possibly get to grace the international stage alongside former Jamaica College teammate Norman Campbell.

  “Yeah, it's something that doesn't really happen much, so I want to embrace it. We grew up in the same community as well, so I'm definitely looking forward to playing with him [Norman Campbell] representing the country,” he ended.

   

• Montego Bay United continue decent start to JPL season with 1-0 win over Arnett Gardens

  Montego Bay United continued their promising start to the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Arnett Gardens in an entertaining encounter at the Montego Bay Stadium in Catherine Hall on Monday.

  Captain Owayne Gordon was the hero of the night, scoring the decisive goal in the 40th minute to secure all three points for Rodolfo Zapata’s side. The win, their third of the campaign, moved Montego Bay United up to second on nine points, one point off leaders Cavalier on 10 points, while Arnett Gardens slipped to seventh on four points.

  Zapata was visibly pleased with his team’s performance, lauding the effort and determination shown by the players throughout the match.

  “I knew it was going to be a very exciting game; it was very interesting from a tactical aspect, and tactics are very important, but if you don’t have the technique, it won’t work. So I am very proud of my boys and the performance they put in," the Argentine tactician said.

  “They (Arnett Gardens) are a good team so I have different tactical systems that I work with in games like these. We started with 3-3-3-1, and during the game I had to change, but my players responded to my coaching, and I am so proud of them, especially of that high-class finish,” he added.

  It was a lively start by teams as they showed good attacking intent in end-to-end action, much to the delight of the sizeable crowd.

  Both threw their weight in attack and tested their respective goalkeeper’s readiness in a few half chances in the opening half-hour.

  However, Montego Bay United, led by Gordon, gradually gained the ascendancy, as they were more enterprising in the attacking third, stretching Arnett Gardens defence, which was slow to regroup.

  The all-important goal by Gordon, his 77th in an outstanding JPL career, was the culmination of a well-executed build up that showcased Montego Bay United’s swift and effective transition play.

  Gordon collected a pass on the break down the left channel and held his composure to delicately finish over the head of Asher Hutchinson in goal for Arnett Gardens to put Montego Bay United up at the break.

  Montego Bay United remained in control at the restart and should have extended the lead on two occasions, but faulty execution proved their undoing.

  The first came in the 48th when Gordon whipped in a weighted cross, but Lucas Lima Correa couldn't connect properly to get his header on target.

  Nine minutes later, Tyrone Harrison danced his way through two defenders and fired on a cross for Shaneil Thomas, who steered the effort wide of the left upright. 

  As the chances came far and few in between, Arnett Gardens had their best look at goal in 69th when Warner Brown found himself with space and time to set for a left-footed effort from deep inside the 18-yard box. However, the usually clinical attacker hit his shot wide of the right upright, and that effort basically summed up the “Junglists” night.

  Head coach Xavier Gilbert acknowledged that they were found wanting for the most parts.

  “To be honest, Mobay was committed. I don’t think we were committed as much, especially in the first half, and it is something that we spoke about because we can’t give away the ball and don’t have that urgency to win it back immediately. It has been haunting us for the last four or five games, but we are still trying to fix it.

  “It is still a long season and we just have to be better at keeping the ball. Also, the end product just wasn’t there and it is just one of those games. I said it to Kimani [Arbouine] because he has been doing well but tonight just wasn’t his night,” Gilbert reasoned.

  Matchweek Four Results

  Molynes United 4, Chapelton Maroons 0

  Humble Lion 1, Harbour View 1

  Portmore United 2, Vere United 0

  Tivoli Gardens 0, Waterhouse 1

  Cavalier 4, Dunbeholden 1

  Mount Pleasant 4, Racing United 0

  Montego Bay United 1, Arnett Gardens 0

• Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Iniesta announces retirement

  Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta has announced his retirement from football at the age of 40.

  Iniesta, who also played for Japanese side Vissel Kobe, most recently played for UAE Pro League club Emirates and had the option to extend his contract until 2025, but has instead decided to hang up his boots.

  The midfielder started his career at Barcelona, joining at the age of 12 before making his senior debut in 2002.

  He went on to make 674 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions, the fourth-most in the history of the club, behind Lionel Messi (778), Xavi (767) and Sergio Busquets (722).

  "Please allow me to be a little emotional today..." a tearful Iniesta said at a press conference on Tuesday.

  "I never thought this day would come. I never imagined it. Yes, all these tears we have shed these days are tears of emotion, of pride. They are not tears of sadness.

  "They are tears of that boy from a small town like Fuentealbilla, who had the dream of being a footballer and we achieved it after a lot of hard work, sacrifice... of never giving up, essential values in my life. I feel very proud of this path, with all the people who have accompanied me." 

  Iniesta scored 35 goals in 442 LaLiga appearances, with Barcelona unbeaten in the 35 league games in which he scored (W33 D2). Only Angel Correa (58 games) has scored in more games without losing in the competition in the 21st century.

  While at Barcelona, he won 29 major honours, including nine LaLiga titles, four Champions League, two UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cups.

  Iniesta also made 131 appearances for Spain, the fifth-most in the history of the male national team, and famously scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final as La Roja lifted the trophy for the first time.

  His strike in the 116th minute against the Netherlands (115:54 exactly) is the latest winning goal in the showpiece match in the history of the tournament.

  He was also a part of Spain's European Championship successes in 2008 and 2012, being named the Player of the Tournament at the latter edition.

  Despite playing an integral role in those tournaments, Iniesta failed to score with any of the 34 shots he attempted in his three appearances at the Euros finals (2008, 2012, 2016), a record number of attempts without scoring by any player at the tournament since at least the 1980 edition.