Can Jamaica’s Premier League Stars Finally Shine On The International Stage?

Jamaica opened its 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against the United States in Chicago on Saturday.

It is a tournament that—when looking at the bigger picture, the players it has available, and the state of the other teams involved—Jamaica should be thinking it has a chance of winning.

The Reggae Boyz team contains a number of English Premier League stars such as Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, Bobby Decordova-Reid, and Michail Antonio, who will have ultimately been disappointed not to open with a win against a second-string United States team.

Especially as they were awarded a penalty shortly after opening the scoring in the first half, but Bailey saw his attempt saved by Matt Turner, who also plays his club football in the Premier League for Arsenal.

Philadelphia Union defender Damion Lowe had given Jamaica the lead early on, heading home a cross from Everton attacking midfielder Gray who was making his senior international debut having appeared for England at youth level.

Bailey had a great chance on the rebound from his penalty, but scuffed it wide off his weaker right foot.

This was a much different United States roster to the one that recently won the Concacaf Nations League. The starting XI for this game was arguably not the strongest from this roster, either.

The United States might have been the favourites going into the match due to the recent form of both sides, but on paper, Jamaica had the better players.

The Caribbean nation has previously struggled to convert its acquisition of star power from England into a coherent unit and a consistent team.

It has not always been able to field its strongest side consisting of the many recently-declared Jamaica internationals, several of whom were born in England.

It finished way off the pace in the Third Round of Concacaf’s 2022 World Cup qualification section, 14 points off the United States and Costa Rica who finished third and fourth respectively.

But the team that has been managed by Icelandic coach Heimir Hallgrímsson since last September does have a number of its star players available for this Gold Cup.

They will get stronger, too, should Brentford defender Ethan Pinnock return to the camp having missed the opening game.

With the United States and Canada rotating their rosters from the Nations League and missing their star players, and Mexico looking weaker than it has for some time, there is a real possibility for other Central American or Caribbean nations to make an impact.

Jamaica, with its array of Premier League stars, has some of the best players at this particular tournament, if not the best.

Gray impressed in moments on his debut, providing the assist for Lowe with a pinpoint cross from the right from a free kick.

His set pieces will be key for Hallgrímsson’s side as it goes on to face Trinidad and Tobago in St. Louis on Wednesday and Saint Kitts and Nevis in Santa Clara on Sunday.

There is more to come from Antonio too, or at least there should be. The striker won the Europa Conference League with West Ham earlier this month, and if he and Bailey can combine effectively up front they will be difficult to stop.

Hallgrímsson, who was an assistant coach with the Iceland team that knocked England out of Euro 2016, hopes to have Pinnock available for the Trinidad and Tobago game, as his side looks to assure qualification for the knockout rounds with wins in the remaining two group games.

If the Reggae Boyz find their rhythm, they have a realistic chance of going far in this tournament, and if the Premier League stars can finally show their quality in a Jamaica shirt, they could even win it.