‘It was one of those nights’
Steve McClaren blames slow start for loss against Curaçao
Published:Saturday | October 11, 2025 | 12:10 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McClaren blamed the team’s passive start to the game as the reason for their 2-0 loss to Curaçao last night in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers at the Ergilio Hato Stadium.
Jamaica stumbled in their World Cup ambitions as they fell to their first defeat in the final round of qualifiers.
The Boyz entered the fixture with the better record as they were looking for their third win in a row, while Curaçao looked to pick up their second win on the bounce.
It was Curaçao who started the stronger of the two teams and had the first shot on target as Joshua Brenet tested Andre Blake’s reflexes in the goal in the opening five minutes.
Their early pressure paid off as, with their second attempt, Comenencia found the back of the net in the 14th minute.
His shot from distance caught Blake off-guard and nestled neatly into the lower right corner of the goal.
McClaren said the team’s slow start proved their undoing as despite their chances, they were not able to recover from Curaçao’s early blow.
“It was one of those nights where it looked like we were never going to score and we didn’t,” he said in his post-match interview.
“I think we lost the game in the first 20 minutes. They started strong and we were passive in our duels.
“We didn’t keep the ball and they started the game better than us. The first goal is always going to be important and they got it,” he continued.
Searching for the equaliser
Jamaica piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser and Tyreece Campbell proved a menace down the right flank, skipping past two defenders at the half-hour mark.
But his low-driven effort from a tight angle struck the side netting and gave goalkeeper Eloy Room little concern.
Jonathan Russell had a prime opportunity to get the equaliser just before the break as he held off his defender well to receive a pass in the box from Amari’i Bell.
In one motion, Russell turned his marker before firing at goal. Although beaten, Room did just enough to slow down the ball that allowed the Curaçao defence to clear their lines.
Jamaica continued the second half with the same urgency and went searching for the equaliser.
Kenji Gorre ruined those plans, however, as against the run of play, he doubled his team’s lead just past the hour mark.
The second-half substitute picked up the ball inside the box before cutting on to his preferred right foot and sent a curling effort outside of the reach of the diving Blake.
The Boyz, with a mountain to climb, believed they had pulled one back in the final minute of the game when Richard King burst through a crowd of bodies and fired into the corner of the net.
The goal was disallowed however, as referee Bryan Lopez went to the video assistant referee (VAR) and adjudged Karoy Anderson to have been in an offside position and interfered with the play during the build-up.
The result means Curaçao now lead Group B with seven points, just ahead of Jamaica who fall to second place with six.
In the group’s other game, Trinidad and Tobago defeated Bermuda 3-0 to pick their first win of the final round, and maintain their third place position, now with four points.
Jamaica now turn their focus to Bermuda, who they will host at the National Stadium on October 14.
The top team from the group will advance to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers while the next two best group runners-up will advance to the inter-continental playoffs.