Jamaica meet Costa Rica in their final game of the Concacaf Under-17 Men’s Championships group stage today, knowing they cannot lose if they are to advance to the next round.

Doing so could be problematic if Cuba beat Guadeloupe in the next game, even though the top three teams advance from the group.

Today’s crucial game kicks off at Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala, at 8:00 pm. The opening match of the double-header sees Guatemala and Cuba kicking off at 5:00 pm.

Jamaica, who won their opening game 4-2 against Cuba on Sunday, lost 2-1 to Guadeloupe on Tuesday. Costa Rica won their first two games, 2-1 and 4-0 against Guadeloupe and Cuba, respectively.

Jamaica enter the game second in the group on three points, three behind Costa Rica, but ahead of Guadeloupe, also on three, on goal difference.

The young Reggae Boyz’s task is compounded by the absence of wide man Nahshon Bolt-Barrett, who was suspended during the game against Guatemala.

Head Coach Merron Gordon says that dismissal changed the outcome of the game.

“That second yellow card in the second half was horrible for us,” Gordon said after the match.

“It was a tough call by the referee for a second yellow there because the linesman was calling him to tell him that the next player was tugging him, but he just ran over with his yellow card. But such is football. It put us on the back foot from there.”

Gordon will be looking for better finishing against Costa Rica, as he said too many good chances were missed in the previous game.

“It was a tough one,” he said.

“We started the game tentatively. I thought we could’ve won the game in the first half. We got some easy chances and we didn’t capitalise. We got some half chances that we could’ve turned into full chances but such is the game.”

Gordon named an unchanged starting 11 from the game against Cuba for Guadeloupe, although in an altered formation. He may be forced into more changes ahead of the game today as he has noticed fatigue among his squad.

“We had some players who played some long minutes in the first game,” he said.

“Their legs were going and we made some changes but the changes didn’t really impact the game as we wanted them to. But they’re young boys, is the game, we just have to move on strongly from here.”

That may not be the case for Costa Rica, as they made four changes for the game against Cuba.

Jamaica are campaigning for a third appearance at the FIFA Under-17 Men’s World Cup, which takes place in Peru this November.

— Rachid Parchment