‘THERE’S NO IN-BETWEEN’
McClaren promises aggressive Reggae Boyz for do-or-die at The Office
Published:Tuesday | November 18, 2025 | 12:08 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
“WE MUST play the game of our lives.”
Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McClaren says his charges are ready to put it all on the line today when they take to the National Stadium at 8 p.m. to face Curacao in the decisive Concacaf World Cup Qualifier.
Jamaica will face Curacao in their final match of Group B, knowing only a win will ensure they claim an automatic qualifying spot to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Curacao lead the group with 11 points and only need to avoid defeat to claim the top spot ahead of Jamaica, who sit second on 10.
Following a 1-1 draw against Trinidad and Tobago in their previous match, McClaren said he was always convinced the group decider would come down to the final game.
“Many people have asked me what about the last game and I’ve said for 16 months, it will always go down to the last game. I said it at the beginning of the group stage and so it is,” he said in a pre-match press conference yesterday.
The Reggae Boyz boss said entering the fixture second in the group and facing a must-win situation provides motivation rather than creates a deterrent.
McClaren said the pressure of the situation will force his team to be aggressive and ensure they go for the win.
“I think the best thing for us is that it’s a win. When you play for a draw or a win, you are a little bit in-between and I don’t think we can be in-between tomorrow,” he said.
“We have to be front-foot aggressive and go for the win. That’s our mentality. So that’s what we’ll go for.”
This will be the second meeting between the countries in the final round, with Curacao having defeated Jamaica 2-0 at home.
McClaren is hoping to avoid the same pitfalls today, saying they failed to start strong in their last meeting.
“We didn’t start the game well, so we must start the game well tomorrow[today]. That’s a big lesson,” he said.
“We had chances to win the game. When you look at the stats after the game, we had more chances, more chances on target, and we should have scored in that game.
“We had a goal disallowed for I don’t know what, so we knew we were in with a chance in that game.”
He continued, “We know what we must do. There’s no in-between.”
McClaren, however, said it will not be an easy contest against the Dutch Caribbean island.
Curacao enter the fixture fresh off the 7-0 demolition of Bermuda, and are the only team in the group yet to be defeated.
“What we learned from Curacao was that they’re a very good team. When you look at their performances in the Gold Cup, they didn’t go out of the group stage, but their games were so close,” he said.
“We’ve seen their quality in this World Cup Qualifying group and when you beat a team, any team, 7-0, you’ve got to give them respect, which we really do, but it’s up to us.”
McClaren said his players are ready to compete, and are determined to put a smile on the faces of Jamaican fans.
He said tonight will be an emotional game, as the nation hopes to qualify for just their second-ever World Cup, weeks after the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.
“The motivation is there. One for the World Cup, and two for the people of Jamaica who have suffered over the last two weeks in certain areas with the devastation of the hurricane,” he said.
“The mood has been one of determination and focus, and knowing what they have to do and just hope that we can execute that tomorrow [today].”
He added, “We want to do it for them. We’ve had messages sent to us from people in the areas that have been hit and the message from them, at least for a week, [is to] give us a smile on our faces, that Jamaica, the Reggae Boyz, can give us hope for the future.”
Only the group winners from the final round will qualify for the World Cup, while the two best second-placed teams will advance to the intercontinental play-offs for another chance at qualification.