TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Victory on the road will have to be realised if Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz are to maintain their slim hopes of advancing to the FIFA World Cup Finals in Brazil next year summer.

To do so the technical staff is tinkering on possible changes to the team today, hoping to strike a delicate balance between an all-out attack and a balanced game.

Jamaica are currently at the bottom of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Final Hexagonal with two points, with Costa Rica, USA and Mexico jointly leading the group with seven points, followed by Panama on six and Honduras on four points.

Jamaica and Mexico have played five games each, with the other four teams playing four. In other games on today, Costa Rica visit the Azteca to face Mexico at 7:00 pm, and the USA host Panama at the CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington, at 9:08 pm.

The Boyz arrived in Honduras just before midday yesterday and held a light training session at the game venue in the afternoon. Prior to the session, assistant head coach and technical director Alfredo Montesso advised journalists that the technical staff was contemplating changes to the team.

“We have to think about some changes to give some more physical condition to the team,” he said. “We trained with Beckford (Jermaine) yesterday (Sunday), but let’s see, we have another training session today and let us see how the players respond.”

The Brazilian noted that the players were still very hopeful of making it to Brazil because they have just reached the halfway stage and they believe that if they are able to get the results in the second half of the campaign, then they might just be able to pull it off.

“We still have in our minds that there are another 15 points to be played for, and we have to remain competitive, we have to remain positive, because if we beat Honduras we go to five points and we keep them on four points. It is important to win these individual battles in the round now, so we have to play with intelligence tomorrow (today), be very consistent trying to reinforce our team game, especially on the defensive side and in our transition as well.

“We have to be very fast in our transition because Honduras need the result, and they will have to come and try to get it and we have to be very smart in this situation.”

In their session in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, emphasis was played on defending crosses, while the strikers got the opportunity to execute finishing.

“They (Honduras) play pretty much like Mexico, not with the same speed and quality of pass, but especially with the wings. They have players who come from the wings working with the opposite leg and changing the ball from one side to the other, as Mexico do, and we have to pay attention to that,” explained Montesso.

“If we don’t concede a goal then we are closer to winning the game. Every time you expose your game, especially playing away, and you concede a goal, you are far from winning the game, so we have to remain very aggressive in our marking, very compact, keep the team together, and of course use the space that they will give to us.”

It is with this strategy in mind that veteran midfielder Jermanie Hue will be sacrificed for Jermaine Beckford in attack today.

The defensive line is expected to remain untouched, with Donovan Ricketts in goal, guarded by Daniel Gordon and Adrian Mariappa, flanked by O’Brian Woodbine and Alvas Powell. Marvin Elliott and Rodolph Austin are expected to marshal central midfield, while Garath McCleary will play an attacking midfield role with Jermaine Johnson, Beckford and Ryan Johnson forming a three-man attack in a 4-3-3 formation.

For Montesso, every game is now a final.

“Every game that comes now is more important than the one before, and tomorrow (today) will be another crucial game, as the others before and of course we have to re-establish the mood of the team, the concentration,” he observed.

The assistant coach admitted that the team was conceding too many goals from crosses. Having analysed the situation, he said the technical staff had adapted the training sessions to combat that system of play.

“We will address that in training today (yesterday) and we hope that they (players) have a better understanding of each other and their positioning inside the 18-yard box, especially when the ball gets to the flanks,” he offered.