Jamaica tackles Suriname in Gold Cup as they hunt cup glory

Photo: Reggae Boyz captain Adrian Mariappa

There is an old adage ‘third time is a charm’ is true, so can Jamaica make it to their third Gold Cup finals and their fourth straight semifinals?

That is a question that will be answered throughout the course of the Concacaf Gold Cup competition, of which Jamaica makes their bow today.

The Reggae Boyz were beaten finalists in 2015 (3-1 to Mexico) and 2017 (2-1 to USA) and were losing semifinalist in 2019 (3-1 to USA). Jamaica will be in Group C and on paper are touted as favorites to top the group.

Costa Rica is expected to seize the next qualifying spot, but Guadeloupe and debutants Suriname are no pushover. Having knocked on the door several times for so long, the only thing left for the Reggae Boyz at this stage, it seems, is to be crowned champions.

Jamaica kick-starts their Gold Cup campaign against neophytes Suriname at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando Florida. More than half of Coach Theodore Whitmore’s 23-man squad is comprised of MLS players, along with some new faces who ply their trade in Europe. Twenty-eight-year-old veteran defender Damion Lowe says he has grown to love playing in the Gold Cup.

“Playing in the Gold Cup tournament is always a joy. We are grateful for the experience and how far we have come as a nation and we just want to move on to higher heights,” he said.

Leading up to the Gold Cup, Jamaica played 4 friendlies losing 3-0 and 4-1 to Saudi Arabia and USA respectively, a 1-1 draw with Serbia and a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in the second game.

Leading the team will be Captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake from Philadelphia Union who has 45 caps and was the Golden Glove winner in the 2017 tournament.

In defense (RB) would be Blake’s fellow Philadelphia Union teammate Alvas Powell with 49 caps and will be making his 4th Gold Cup appearance for Jamaica. Left back would be another stand out Toronto FC’s Kemar ‘Taxi’ Lawrence, while the center back pair will see Liam Moore of Reading making his Gold Cup debut and man of steel Bristol City’s Adrian Mariappa.

In the middle of the park will be former Manchester United wonder kid Ravel Morrison (RM), Fulham’s Micheal Hector (CDM), Preston North End’s Daniel Johnson (LM). Playing through the middle will be Philadelphia Union’s Corey Burke who has 18 caps and five goals, none of which was scored in the Gold Cup.

Up front will feature Bayern Leverkusen’s starlet Leon ‘Chippy’ Bailey who is on the radar of some top clubs in the English Premier League and the talismanic Fulham striker Bobby Reid. Coach Whitmore will have a lot to chose from the bench if needed.

If Jamaica should top their group, they would play a likely second place Canada in the quarter finals and Mexico in the semifinals. Could this be the year they get sweet revenge on Mexico from that finals? However, if this is to be materialized, they would have to get pass Suriname.

Suriname swanks a squad full of players playing in some of the top leagues of Europe, including the Eredivisie in the Netherlands and the Turkish Super Lig.

Suriname is also a side that can score quickly in bunches. Under the tutelage of Head Coach Dean Gorre, Suriname posted a first-place finish in Group D of League B of the 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League with a 4W-1D-1L record.

Their mission is to have a strong team that will lead them into international tournaments and put the country’s name on the list of contenders to win the Concacaf Gold Cup. Out of their four Concacaf World Cup Qualifying games for Qatar 2022, Suriname won three by more than one goal and only suffered one loss. It was a perfect reflection of the improvement that the team has shown during the past few years.

Suriname has added Ridgeciano Haps, he joined the team in 2021 and only has four caps, but has quickly become a key player of the squad. Although Haps has recently played more as a left-back, he grew up playing as a left-wing, making him a player with a unique set of skills. Suriname striker Gleofilo Vlijter, who is only 21 years old, already plays outside of Suriname with Beitar Jerusalem F.C. in the Israeli professional football league.

Vlijter has nine appearances with the national team and has scored 11 goals, including a CNL leading 10 scores to earn Golden Boot honors. Only Jamaica (21) has scored more goals in the 2019-20 CNL than Suriname’s 16 in League B. With plenty of weapons in attack, a lethal goal-scorer, a solid defense, and a squad that has experience battling in some of Europe’s top leagues, the ingredients are all there for Suriname to channel their inner 2007 Guadeloupe and make a deep run in the 2021 Gold Cup.

For what its worth, this promises to be a spectacle.