SAN JOSE, United States – Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz will attempt another shot at football glory when they oppose the United States of America in the final of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Tournament final inside Levi’s Stadium here at 6:30 pm (8:30 pm Jamaica time) today.

Today’s game marks the second consecutive appearance in the final for the Reggae Boyz, after they surprised the United States 2-1 in the semi-finals two years ago on their way to losing 1-3 to Mexico in the final. It is also the second straight edition that the Boyz, from the tiny island of Jamaica, have overachieved and dared to crash the hopes of regional hierarchy to deny its dream final between the top two powerhouses – Mexico and the US.

Today’s winners take home the coveted gold Trophy, gold medals and US$1 million, while the runners-up collect silver medals and US$500,000.

So as the 2017 version of the Gold Cup Tournament comes to a close in Santa Clara, California today, after 13 stadia and cities have helped to determine the finalists, the hosts are expected to start firm favourites, especially after refreshing their 23-man roster with six players at the end of the preliminary stage.

The Jamaicans have proven resolute and dogged, if not fluent, as they finished second in Group C behind Mexico with a win and two drawn results, one of which was a 0-0 encounter against Mexico at Sports Authority Field in Mile High Denver, Colorado.

The two finalists from 2015 met again in the semi-finals at the famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and for the second time the Mexicans couldn’t breach the Jamaican defence and defender Kemar Lawrence left it late to eliminate the defending champions with a spectacular free-kick, silencing the 42,393 spectators inside the venue.

But in the US the Reggae Boyz will and are expecting a more robust opponent with different characteristics.

The Americans are stronger, more physical and are more direct in their style of play and are also more dynamic in terms of their approach.

But Jamaican Head Coach Theodore Whitmore, the first coach of a Jamaican senior national team to defeat the US, when he guided his team past Jurgen Klinsmann’s US 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier in September 2012, told the Jamaica Observer that there is no pressure or fear factor with his charges.

“No, definitely not, we have nothing to fear,” he said.

“The team we brought here nobody expected us to be in this position, so they are relaxed going into the game more than even the US. We know the US lost to us in 2015 and want to change that, but we lost to Mexico in the final and we don’t want to repeat that.”

Whitmore, more popularly called “Tappa”, is upbeat and quietly confident about the prospects of lifting the trophy at game’s end.

“Feeling great, very upbeat, but still have a hurdle to cross and looking to cross that hurdle,” he said, yesterday, moments after completing a light training session at the Avaya training field, while the US practised on the Avaya Stadium pitch.

And in a game where extra time and penalty kicks will be employed if necessary, yesterday’s session was light-hearted and geared towards loosening the muscles, with an eye on recovery, as well.

The coach admitted that some of his players complained of fatigue, having played five games in two weeks, and including travelling to six different cities.

“So we have to look on that balance and we realised that we need them for the game, not training session, and there is not much we can accomplish out of a training session going into the game tomorrow, so the best bet was to get them warm up, get in a proper stretch, and have a little bit of fun, practise some penalties and then look forward to the big game tomorrow,” explained the coach, now at his third Gold Cup Tournament, having been eliminated at the group stage in 2009, and being knocked out at the quarter-final by the US in 2011.

For US coach Bruce Arena, who replaced Klinsmann not so long ago, this Jamaican team is hard to play against and appears more disciplined, as per ESPNFC.

They’re a different type of Jamaican team than we’ve seen in the past,” Arena said.

“They have a lot of discipline, they’re very strong defensively, and they’re hard to play against. That to me is not what you typically see of a Jamaican team.”

And for veteran goalkeeper Tim Howard, hoisting the trophy at the end of the game is all that matters to him. Not the team on the other side of the pitch.

“For us, we’re in the final, obviously, getting our hands on that trophy is paramount for us. We don’t care who stands in our way.”

Whitmore has got his tactics spot on all tournament and he’s devised a plan for the Americans centred around limiting their captain Michael Bradley from spraying passes all around the park and sparking the US attack.

“The US are a different team from the Mexicans. We have our work cut out, but we have our game plan and we will be very strategic on how we approach this game and it will be a different formation and approach from the game against Mexico.

“When you look at the US team it is a different set up compared to the Mexicans. We know the main man, which everybody knows, is Bradley, so once we can stop Bradley from playing it should limit their chances in attack, because he’s the one who prepares the passes for Altidore (Jozy) and company, but the Boyz are up for it and a number of our players are used to some of these US players, having played in the MLS with them,” Whitmore said.

Whitmore will employ a 4-2-3-1 formation today, with Je-Vaughn Watson and Ladale Richie strategically placed to block the passage in the middle of the park.

Oniel Fisher is expected to be recalled in place of Shaun Francis on the left, with Owayne Gordon playing on the right and Romario Williams playing as a second striker behind Darren Mattocks.

The back four remains the same with Jermaine Taylor and Damion Lowe in central positions, flanked by Lawrence on the left and Alvas Powell on the right. Captain Andre Blake will continue to tend goal.

Mattocks has looked sharp in attack and has scored two goals thus far, like Williams, but the Portland Timbers forward also notched two in the last edition, including the consolation in the final loss to Mexico.

“We have not been playing the best of football, but we are in a tournament and what counts are results and we are getting results and keeping clean sheets,” noted Whitmore.

“They (US) know we have our defensive system which is hard to breach, so we expect a good game tomorrow,” he ended.

It’s another David vs Goliath moment, and though the Reggae Boyz are void of any deadly arms, they are hoping that their grit, determination, hunger and the renowned Jamaican spirit will trump the host.