JAMAICA’S senior women’s coach Merron Gordon said his team will have to play a “tactical game” against Costa Rica in today’s Group B CONCACAF Championship game at the Toyota Park in Illinois, starting at 3:00 pm (Jamaica time).

In today’s second game at the Toyota Park venue, Mexico face Martinique at 5:30 pm.

While Jamaica were rampant on Thursday in Kansas, beating an outmatched outfit Martinique 6-0, Costa Rica were even more impressive, clipping group favourites Mexico 1-0 in the feature game of the double-header.

“Coming into this competition we knew what we were up against. We knew Costa Rica and Mexico would not be walk-overs,” Gordon said.

“We knew this game [between Costa Rica and Mexico] was going to be a close battle. Costa Rica came out on top and we are playing Costa Rica next. They look athletic, but we are also like that.

“We have to play a tactical game in terms of keeping our shape, keeping our lines and keeping the space in-between players to the ‘T’. The transition from our defence into attack will also be key.”

A win for Jamaica against Costa Rica could seal one of the two Group B places to the semi-finals before the Reggae Girlz even take the field against Mexico in the last preliminary encounter. That game is set for Tuesday at the RFK Memorial Stadium in Washington, DC.

Group A consists of United States, Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti and Guatemala.

— Sanjay Myers