MCCLAREN...The biggest thing is to get started.
While expressing his excitement as he prepares to lead the country into Concacaf Nations League battle, recently appointed Reggae Boyz Head coach Steve McClaren also warned against complacency all-round, mindful that the main objective is qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Englishman is under no illusions that the challenge ahead will be easy but remains confident in the Reggae Boyz ability to perform at the highest level. The Boyz will bow into Nations League action on September 6 against Cuba at the National Stadium before visiting Honduras on September 10.
They will then visit Nicaragua on October 10, followed by a return-leg fixture against Honduras on October 14.
“I’m excited; I’ve been excited from day one. The biggest thing is to get started. I’ve called a few players and watched a few games in getting ready for Cuba on September 6. The Reggae Boyz have great potential and I’m very proud to be a part of this journey, as it’s a privilege for anybody to coach a national team because you are representing a country,” McClaren said during an interview with Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) media.
McLaren, who boasts a wealth of experience coaching in and around Europe, including a stint as Manchester United’s assistant coach, underscored that the Nations League will serve as a crucial stepping stone in the team's preparation for World Cup qualification, offering them a platform to build momentum and fine-tune their strategies.
With the powerhouses Mexico, the United States, and Canada already qualifying for the World Cup as hosts, McLaren knows they can take nothing for granted, as every other team across the region will fancy their chances of booking a spot at the global showpiece.
“Every team in the Caribbean now will be thinking they have a chance. In football, there’s never an easy game; complacency is the biggest killer of all,” McLaren noted.
“Therefore, we can’t be complacent in the Nations League or the qualifiers for the World Cup. We must be committed, we must want to be here, and we must all be aligned to the goal of World Cup 2026, from the president [Michael Ricketts] all the way down,” the former England manager added.
That said, the 63-year-old welcomed the camaraderie among the current crop of players, which he believes will make his job that much easier, as his aim was always to ensure there was such a foundation.
“They look like they have great togetherness. I have spoken to players and staff, and everybody loves coming to join up for Jamaica. You have got to enjoy what you do, and that’s a great advantage. All I want to do is carry on with the good work that has gone on,” McLaren declared.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Valencia 1-2 Barcelona: Lewandowski double seals comeback win for Blaugrana
Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Hansi Flick's depleted Barcelona side came from behind to beat Valencia 2-1 in their opening game of the season in LaLiga.
Barca were without several key players including Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Ilkay Gundogan for their first competitive game under Flick, and they were put under intense pressure in the first half at the Mestalla.
Valencia produced an energetic display and hit the front after 44 minutes as Hugo Duro headed Diego Lopez's delivery past Marc-Andre ter Stegen from close range.
Duro almost doubled Los Che's lead when he saw an effort cleared off the line in first-half stoppage time, and Barca immediately went up the other end to level.
Lewandowski tapped home a cross from Euro 2024 breakout star Lamine Yamal five minutes into first-half stoppage time, then doubled up shortly after the break.
Raphinha was felled inside the area by Cristhian Mosquera, allowing Lewandowski to blast an unstoppable penalty into the top corner for what proved to be the winner.
Data Debrief: Flick off to flying start
Flick looked likely to endure a difficult start to his Barca reign when Valencia penned his team back in the first half, but Lewandowski netted twice in four minutes either side of half-time to flip the encounter on its head.
Flick is the third German to coach Barca in LaLiga after Hennes Weisweiler and Udo Lattek, and all three won their first match at the helm.
Milan 2-2 Torino: Morata and Okafor salvage late draw for Rossoneri
Alvaro Morata and Noah Okafor scored in the dying stages for Milan as they salvaged a 2-2 draw in their Serie A opener against Torino on Saturday.
The visitors were moments away from a memorable victory at San Siro thanks to a Malick Thiaw own goal and a header from Duvan Zapata, only for Milan to fight back with goals in the 89th and 95th minutes.
The visitors took the lead on the half-hour mark when Raoul Bellanova's header hit the post and Thiaw’s attempted clearance ended in an own goal.
Torino then doubled their advantage in the 68th minute with Zapata heading in Valentino Lazaro's cross from close range.
With the clock about to tick into stoppage time, Morata gave Paulo Fonseca's side hope by deflecting Tijjani Reijnders' long-range shot into the net.
Milan then launched a frantic final push for a leveller and Okafor smashed in a volley deep into stoppage time to spare their blushes.
Data Debrief: Stuttering start for Rossoneri
While Fonseca avoided a humiliating defeat in his first competitive game in charge of Milan, some lax defending ensured his reign would not start with a victory.
This is the first time Milan have started a Serie A campaign with a draw since 2011-12, when they drew 2-2 with Lazio under Massimiliano Allegri.
They went on to finish second to Juventus that season, but improvements will be required if they are to push for a 20th Scudetto in 2024-25.
Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 Stuttgart (4-3 pens): Ten-man Bundesliga champions win Supercup shoot-out
Ten-man Bayer Leverkusen beat Stuttgart 4-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes to win the DFL-Supercup on Saturday.
Lukas Hradecky denied Frans Kratzig from 12 yards in the shoot-out then Silas fired his kick over the crossbar as Leverkusen won their third trophy under Xabi Alonso, following a last-gasp equaliser from Patrik Schick.
Domestic double winners Leverkusen, who only lost once in all competitions last season, needed just 11 minutes to take the lead with Edmond Tapsoba heading towards goal at the far post and Victor Boniface prodding the ball over the line.
Stuttgart struck back four minutes later, though, thanks to Enzo Millot's strike in the first German curtain-raiser not to feature Bayern Munich for 13 years.
Leverkusen were reduced to 10 men when Martin Terrier was dismissed for a studs-up challenge in the 37th minute and Stuttgart quickly took control from there.
Stuttgart then hit the woodwork three times and went in front in the 63rd minute when substitute Deniz Undav connected with a Kratzig cutback mere seconds after coming on.
But Leverkusen's never-say-die attitude, which brought them many late goals last season en route to an undefeated Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal run, was evident again as Schick latched onto an Alejandro Grimaldo throughball to level two minutes from time.
They kept their cool from the spot and scored all four penalties as Stuttgart's Silas blasted over the crossbar to seal Leverkusen's victory, after Hradecky saved from Kratzig.
Data Debrief: Lethal Leverkusen make light of numerical disadvantage
Leverkusen were made to play around an hour with 10 men following Terrier's sending-off and had to spend long periods sitting back, only managing a 34.3% possession share.
However, they continued to threaten on the counterattack, with their 12 shots totalling 2.49 expected goals (xG) to Stuttgart's 1.37. They were then perfect from the spot, starting their second full campaign under Alonso as they intend to finish it, with silverware.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
