Soccer <\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t supposed to require these hurdles.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
When the draw for the final round of Concacaf 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/a> qualifiers was revealed, Andre Blake<\/a> and Jamaica were pleased. The margin for error was slim, yes. Only the top team in each group would go through. But the Reggae Boyz were in a group with only fellow Caribbean rivals. Long the top team in the area, Jamaica felt they could advance.<\/p>\n Yet, they were suffering on the final day, trying desperately to find a goal against Cura\u00e7ao that would send them through. Jamaica and the Philadelphia Union<\/a>‘s goalkeeper wouldn\u2019t be beaten, but neither would Cura\u00e7ao shot-stopper Eloy Room. A scoreless draw meant it was tiny Cura\u00e7ao going through to the World Cup.<\/p>\n Not only did Cura\u00e7ao qualify, but Haiti also advanced from a group that included Costa Rica and Honduras. Two Caribbean countries qualified, just not Jamaica.<\/p>\n \u201cThey got the job done. We had a way easier group. Unfortunately, we didn\u2019t make it out,\u201d Blake said earlier this winter.<\/p>\n Now,\u00a0Blake, Inter Miami CF<\/a> defender Ian Fray<\/a> and several MLS alumni have a second chance. While the second-place finish wasn\u2019t enough to put Jamaica back into the World Cup, it did secure a place in the Intercontinental Playoff. Jamaica must beat New Caledonia on March 26, then DR Congo five days later, to book a return to the tournament for the first time since 1998.<\/p>\n \u201cEver since I was a kid watching those guys qualify in ’98, going to the stadium, you get the feeling that one day you want to be in that position,\u201d Blake said. \u201cIt was always a dream of mine to represent my country in the World Cup, so that would be a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The best goals from the Reggae Boyz on their way to the FIFA Play-Offs on March 26th\ud83d\udd25\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf2 pic.twitter.com\/mwG1fwIfoo<\/a><\/p>\n\n