Team captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake has admitted that there is an air of anxiety hanging over the Reggae Boyz, after Monday’s stalemate against Honduras meant the national senior men’s team failed to win or score at home in back-to-back matches in the Concacaf Nations League tournament.

The Reggae Boyz, playing in front of a decent-sized crowd inside the National Stadium, were held to another disappointing 0-0 draw — this time by the Central Americans. This follows a similar scoreline last month against Cuba, in what was Head Coach Steve McClaren’s first match in charge of the Boyz.

Blake pointed out that with World Cup qualifiers approaching next year, the Reggae Boyz need to find ways to start scoring goals and winning their home matches to maximise their chances to qualify to the marquee tournament.

“We want goals as much as the fans do, but we have to figure it out,” said Blake. “The pitch was not the best, but both teams played on it, and we are going to have to find a way, whether it’s adjusting our playing style or whatever it is. This is our home and we need to find a way to win our home games. Hopefully, we can figure that out sooner rather than later.”

“For me, especially at home, we have to start finding ways to win games and score goals because, with the World Cup qualifiers coming up, you need to win your home games,” Blake noted.

Despite Monday night’s draw, the Reggae Boyz still managed to finish atop Group A with eight points to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the competition. The Hondurans, who finished second in the group with seven points, also advanced to the quarter-finals.

Nicaragua, with seven points, Trinidad and Tobago with five, Cuba with three, and French Guiana with one, complete the group.

The 33-year-old Blake, who plays for the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer, acknowledged that the Reggae Boyz were not at their best in Monday’s game and that there are several areas for improvement moving forward.

“I want to win every game, but unfortunately tonight we didn’t score, and if you don’t score, you can’t win,” Blake said. “It is not easy to play here, especially for the players who weren’t born here. The pitch was not the best, and maybe some players are just not used to it.”

“It is difficult, and that is why we have to find ways to win these games because it is home. In our home, you need to win,” Blake pointed out.

He also highlighted their disappointment in not securing all three points, especially for the over 15,000 spectators who turned out at the National Stadium.

“Obviously, a win would have been better for us and for the fans, but it was a tough game. They are a good team and very strong defensively. It wasn’t our best night with the ball; the pitch wasn’t the best, but I’m not going to stand here and make excuses,” Blake said.

“We just weren’t sharp on the night for whatever reason. The second half was a little bit better, but we have to learn from this and start finding a way to win our home games. Nonetheless, we didn’t play our best, but we still topped the group, and that is a positive for us,” he added.