Jamaica’s been waiting a long time for their share of the spotlight. Prior to their qualification for this tournament, the closest they’d ever come to qualifying was a fourth-place finish in their continental tournament, where finishing third would have sent them to a playoff for a World Cup spot.
I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Jamaica is young and inexperienced, with four players playing collegiate soccer in the US, and another four without club teams. The cupboard is not bare, but with seven players 21 or younger, it’s asking a lot to expect them to progress in the tournament.