A 2-1 win over Guadeloupe in the Concacaf Gold Cup football tournament on Friday night was the next in a growing list of wins for Jamaica Head Coach Steve McClaren, but yet another game in which the performance left something to be desired.

Guadeloupe took the lead through Thierry Ambrose in minute 32, but then Leon Bailey equalised in the 41st minute and Jon Russell got Jamaica’s winner in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.

Jamaica was expected to maintain its pressure in the second half but lost momentum and even nearly ended the game with a point instead of three. With the Jamaican team failing miserably to grasp any semblance of control to see out the match, Guadeloupe created clear-cut openings.

Goalkeeper-captain Andre Blake made a smothering save when Florian David attempted a backheel from point-blank range in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time.

Before that Blake was called upon to acrobatically swat the ball off the goal line when Guadeloupe’s Ange-Freddy Plumain managed to direct an effort on target from inside the six-yard. Moments later, Plumain headed in what appeared to be the equaliser. However, VAR intervened to rule out the goal for an infringement, much to the chagrin of the Guadeloupe players and coaching staff.

Guadeloupe’s Zoran Moco (left) shields the ball ftom Jamaica’s Demarai Gray during the Concacaf Gold Cup Group C match at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, on Friday. Photo: Concacaf Media

McClaren described the performance as a “Jekyll and Hyde” one, meaning the Reggae Boyz played as poorly as they did well, for periods of the game.

“We always focus on performance, and I thought the first half was excellent, despite going a goal down,” McClaren said in the post-game press conference. “We dominated possession 60-40 [per cent], we created chances, opportunities, and we controlled the game. I said at half-time that I’m delighted.

“The first half went to plan perfectly. I thought Jon Russell was excellent. We dominated the ball, dominated the game. They allowed us to do that. We turned them, we got the ball wide, we created chances, and Leon could’ve had a hat-trick in the first half. I’m delighted with that, but it was what we call a Jekyll and Hyde performance.

“In the second half, we just lost our composure. We knew at half time we needed a third goal, and all the way to the 100th minute, we knew we needed a third goal. We had opportunities, but we didn’t take them. Credit to Guadeloupe, they pushed and pushed and pushed, and we nearly got punished.”

This is not the first time he has made such comments about the team’s performance. He has been honest about wanting more from the team after a draw against St Vincent and the Grenadines in Gold Cup qualifying in March, and a win against Trinidad and Tobago last month, then another against the British Virgin Islands on June 7.

But can McClaren do more to curb these performances, especially with a crucial game against Panama in the final Group C game on Tuesday?

When asked, he, however, spoke more about team play.

“We lost a bit of composure,” he told the Sunday Observer. “It was quite even, but the last 10, 15 minutes, including injury time, they just took a lot of risks. I’m surprised the goalkeeper didn’t start playing in our half as well, because they had to take risks. Generally, we’re good with our structure, we’re good with our mentality, we’re good with our defending, but we gave them too many opportunities. So, it’s like everything I say — it’s what happens in both boxes. We failed to get the third in the second half, and we didn’t defend the box very well in the second half, and we relied on Andre Blake to make one or two fantastic saves to get us the points. So, as you say, halftime, satisfied, at the end, not happy.”

Jamaica sit second in Group C on three points, behind Panama, which won its second game 1-0 against Guatemala on Friday. Guatemala also has three points from its 1-0 win over Jamaica on Monday, but although both teams have the same points and goal difference (0), Jamaica is ahead based on more goals scored. Guadeloupe, having lost both games so far, will only be playing for pride against Guatemala on Tuesday.

Jamaica’s game against Panama kicks off at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday at 6:00 pm Jamaica time.

MCCLAREN… in the second half, we just lost our composure (Photo: AFP)

Leon Bailey (left) of Jamaica tries to dribble past Steve Solvet of Guadeloupe during the Concacaf Gold Cup Group C match at PayPal Park in San Jose, California. (Photo: Concacaf Media)