BLAKE...I think we're headed in the right direction, and Steve coming in and implementing these strategies got us excited.
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After a frustrating spell on the sidelines due to injury, Reggae Boyz captain Andre Blake is back, fit, and eager to lead his team into a new era under recently appointed head coach Steve McClaren.
The talented goalkeeper, who has been a stalwart for both club and country, is ready to make his return for national duties as the Reggae Boyz prepare to open their Concacaf Nations League campaign against Cuba at the National Stadium on Friday.
Kickoff is 7:00pm.
Blake, who missed four to six weeks of action—including Jamaica’s failed Copa America campaign—after a meniscus surgery in May returned to training with his club Philadelphia Union in early July and has engaged a few games in his build up to once again sport the national colours.
He expressed his relief at being blessed with a clean bill of health and is ready to compete.
“It's always good to be back with the boys; the energy is good and the vibe is right at the camp. I've played eleven games since I've been back, quick succession games, so I guess you could say that was a test, and I've passed the test, so I'm good to go,” Blake declared.
“It was tough for me not being able to be with the boys, especially in the Copa, but I think they did well for the most part, but the game can be defined by small margins, and unfortunately, we fell short. But I think we're headed in the right direction, and Steve coming in and implementing these strategies got us excited, and we're looking forward to it, and I think there's great things to come,” he added.
Head coach Steve McClaren (left) and assistant Merron Gordon.
Blake’s return to the team couldn’t have come at a better time, with the Reggae Boyz entering a new chapter under McClaren, the experienced Englishman who recently took over from Heimir Hallgrimsson.
The 33-year-old shot stopper, who hails from Clarendon, admitted that the transition from Icelander Hallgrimsson to McClaren was bittersweet, as the players had developed a strong bond with the former coach. However, he quickly pointed out that the team is embracing the change and looking forward to McClaren’s leadership.
“It was a bittersweet moment, you know, because Heimir came in and he did a good job. You know, he definitely took us to another level, but things happened, and when we heard that Steve was coming, obviously, who didn't know him, had to do their research, and immediately we realized we were getting somebody with a great pedigree.
“So everybody was excited, as I said before, and we're all looking forward to it; now that we got a chance to meet and work together, you know, we're just excited and anticipating great things to come,” Blake shared.
McClaren, 63, a former England manager and Premier League coach, has wasted no time implementing his vision for the Reggae Boyz, which is to build on the platform established over the past two years in taking the team to a higher level.
According to Blake, the team has already bought into McClaren’s system, which emphasizes tactical discipline, hard work, and a winning mentality. Having responded positively to the new approach, Blake believes it will bring out the best in them.
“Yeah, since the first day (of camp), I said, everybody on the team is going to need to want the ball. Everybody in the team is going to have to be willing to run, defend together, and fight for each other. I have to agree with coach; if you want to be a really good team where you can go to the next level and compete and beat the US and Mexico, even the bigger teams, you have to be able to do these things and do them consistently,” Blake stated.
Reggae Boyz going through their paces.
“And as he said, if you're not willing to do it, you won't be in the room, and that's as simple as it gets. We have to set high standards and maintain them. So again, I'm really excited, and I'm just looking forward to it,” he noted.
Having placed third in the last Concacaf Nations League edition, Blake knows that a strong performance at home against Cuba is crucial to setting the tone for the tournament and, by extension, to once again establish themselves as serious contenders.
A win for the Boyz would put them in a good position to secure one of two spots from the group to the quarterfinals, as they seek to better that third-place finish.
But, beyond that, Blake highlighted the need to also continue progressing toward their ultimate goal—qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With McClaren at the helm and a talented group of players, he believes they are on the right path to achieve that feat.
“The goal is always to keep improving and building toward the World Cup,” Blake said.
“We have a great group of players, and now with Steve on board, we have the leadership to get us to the next level. We’re all focused on the same thing—winning games, growing as a team, and making Jamaica proud,” he ended.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Returning fan favourite Alonso calls Liverpool 'one of Europe's best'
Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso hailed his former club Liverpool as "one of Europe's best" as he prepares for his Anfield return.
Alonso, who spent five successful years at Anfield and helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2005, returns to his former stomping ground when Leverkusen take on the Reds on Tuesday.
Arne Slot has won 12 of his first 14 matches in charge of Liverpool, including all three in the Champions League so far.
Leverkusen have only won one of their 11 away major European matches in England (D3 L7), and have lost their last two visits to Anfield, and Alonso is under no illusion as to the scale of the task that awaits the reigning Bundesliga champions.
"For us, it is a big challenge," he said.
"Liverpool at the moment are one of the best, if not the best, in Europe, they are showing that in the Premier League and Champions League, a good squad, great coach. We're looking forward to it. Let's see what happens.
"You can play 70 minutes great but in 20 minutes it [the game] is gone, so it is mentally and emotionally we need to be ready.
"In all areas, they are really strong, so the process works really well. [Slot] has done a fantastic job in three months."
Alonso played 210 times across all competitions for Liverpool between 2004 and 2009, scoring 18 goals and providing 20 assists.
After winning the Champions League with the Reds in 2005, he helped them reach the final in 2007, though they lost to Milan on that occasion.
However, the Spaniard does not think he will have too much time for a trip down memory lane.
"Unfortunately, there is no time for tourism – maybe a little run or walk," he said.
"I know the city very well, I love it, but tomorrow I will focus on the game and only the game.
"It feels great to be back here after a few years. It's always special. You notice the development of the club; the new stand looks amazing.
"It is a big game against Liverpool, it cannot get much better than that."
The omens are not great for Leverkusen, though.
Liverpool have lost one of their last 21 European meetings with German opponents (W14 D6), albeit that one defeat came against Leverkusen in 2002.
“We want everyone involved”- Chung hoping for massive support for Reggae Boyz in Nations League Quarterfinal against USA
General Secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation, Dennis Chung, is hoping that Jamaicans come out in their numbers to support the Reggae Boyz during both legs of their CONCACAF Nations League Quarter-final at the National Stadium in Kingston on Thursday, November 14 and Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri on Monday, November 18.
The Reggae Boyz will be looking for revenge over their American counterparts after suffering defeat to them at the semi-final stage of last season’s Nations League 1-3 in extra time. The USA went on to win the whole thing with a 2-0 victory over Mexico in the final while the Reggae Boyz beat Panama 1-0 to claim third place.
If the Boyz are to get over the hump this time around, Chung understands that a massive part of it will be the energy they receive from the thousands of Jamaican fans in attendance.
“We are at the quarterfinal stage. We want to ensure that we are there in our numbers supporting the Boyz because we have to make it past the mighty USA which, after we finish with them, they won’t be so mighty,” Chung said in press conference on Monday.
As such, three support groups for Jamaican football-Reggae Boyz Supporters Club, Reggae Football Fans Club and Reggae Boyz Community, are all making it possible for fans from all over the diaspora to have an opportunity to cheer on the Reggae Boyz live and in person.
“We want to welcome this partnership because this is a way for us now to reach our fanbase. We want to ensure that everyone is involved. At the last two games we had over 17,000 people in attendance and that, for us, is very important. It’s not just about playing football. It’s about getting everybody involved,” Chung said on Monday.
Errol Walters and Louis Grant, members of the Reggae Football Fans Club, were also on hand on Monday and gave an overview of this initiative.
“It’s an honor and a pleasure to be serving our country in this way. What we’re trying to do is create an opportunity for fans in the diaspora that we use our collective bargaining power to negotiate to go to the games,” Walters said.
“There are times when I’m in London and want to go to a game and I have no one to travel with so it was always my dream to create a database to say listen, who’s going to the game from where,” Walters added.
Grant explained that this idea came about because of the desire of members of the diaspora to be a driving force behind the support of the team on their journey to the World Cup in 2026.
“This was birthed out a desire to be the proverbial 12th man for our football teams and more so for the second iteration of the historic trip to the World Cup. We, as members of the diaspora here in the United States, think it’s only right that we play our part in drumming up support as far as leveraging air travel, accommodation, and support,”
“For example, we’ve been in touch with US Soccer with regards to the game in St. Louis. We’ve gotten a section that we can have all or most of our supporters concentrated to create that ‘Office’ vibe,”
“In my experience, we’ve gone to games in my area and you’d see our supporters and our flag sparsely across the various stadiums and we are of the opinion that if we were more concentrated in one section, it bodes well or it is a better look and feel for our team,” he added.
Fulham 2-1 Brentford: Wilson's late brace seals comeback win
Harry Wilson scored twice in stoppage time as Fulham came back to beat Brentford 2-1 in an enthralling West London derby.
Wilson was the hero from Fulham's bench on Monday, as Marco Silva's team – who were on the wrong end of a late comeback against Everton last time out in the Premier League – salvaged a victory from the jaws of defeat.
Fulham will feel it was a win they earned from a match they dominated from the off, with the Bees having taken the lead against the run of play through Vitaly Janelt's stunning 24th-minute strike.
But the Fulham pressure finally told when Wilson rose high to flick in his first in the 92nd minute, and – after Bernd Leno made a superb stop to thwart Brentford at the other end – the former Liverpool midfielder nodded in again to send Craven Cottage into raptures.
Fulham's win takes them up into ninth, while Brentford drop to 12th after suffering a fifth league loss of the season.
Data Debrief: Super-sub Wilson to the rescue
Fulham will feel they deserved to come away from that match with three points, having had 26 shots, 12 of which were on target, in an incredibly dominant display.
They also had 46 touches in the opposition box compared to Brentford's nine, but they could not make those count, at least until Wilson's late intervention as he finally broke through Brentford's stubborn defence.
The Welshman scored with both of his shots on target, having three attempts overall, with his goals coming from a combined 0.19 expected goals.
The Bees looked sure to get a first away win, and first clean sheet, of the Premier League season until their late lapse in concentration, and they have now dropped 14 points from winning positions in the competition this season, more than any other team.
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