IEyeNews

iLocal News Archives

Cayman skipper still upbeat over Nations League opportunities even after Reggae Boyz shellacking

From Concacaf

Even in defeat, Ramon Sealy carries a dream in his thumping heart.

The Cayman Islands captain, despite losing the first game of the Concacaf Nations League 4-0 to host Jamaica on Sunday, still hopes his team will bounce back with victories in the remaining three matches and possibly snatch a spot in the expanded Gold Cup in 2019.

Concacaf’s flagship national tournament will move from 12 teams to 16 with its next edition.

“I dream for the highest, but it is also the dream for the entire team and the country to qualify for the Gold Cup, so we just have to keep that dream going by winning the next three games,” said Sealy.

The goalkeeper captain knows there will be little room for error going forward if his tiny country hopes to create history and make it to the Gold Cup.

“We lost our first game, but now we know what to work on when we get back to Cayman, and we have to use this as a learning experience going forward in the tournament. “We know that Jamaica is a top team in Concacaf, but we have to move on from this and get ready for the Dominican Republic, who may not be as tough, but we expect them to be tough anyway,” noted Sealy.

Cayman’s next match against the Dominican Republic will be played away on October 12, to be followed by a meeting with St Lucia in Grand Cayman on November 17, and will then bring the curtains down on the fixtures with another match against Montserrat on March 22, 2019.

The goalkeeping ace of hometown club Bodden Town F.C., says whatever the role of the dice, he believes the Nations League would have provided opportunities for his team that weren’t there previously.

“The Nations League is essential for countries like ours as we don’t get to play a lot of game and it gives us a chance now to compete against some of the best in a tournament.

“Before when we played a couple of games in World Cup qualifying, we don’t play many more games after, so this tournament will allow us to stay together and will give us some continuity and that will push us further, and that can only help us,” said the 27-year-old.

IMAGE: Reggae Boyz striker Darren Mattocks shoots to goal during a 4-0 rout of Cayman Islands at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.concacaf.com

LEAVE A RESPONSE

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *