The 2018 World Cup is still three years away, but the quest to find its 32 participants will begin on Friday. Jamaica and Nicaragua will feature in a two-legged playoff to qualify for the fourth round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers. The winner will be placed in Group B, alongside Costa Rica and Panama.
A free live stream of the contest scheduled for 8 p.m. local time can be found here. Additional TV coverage can be found on beIN Sports.
What They're Saying
Jamaica head coach William Schafer on the progression of his team, per Jamaica Observer: "When I had my first training session right here, two years ago, it was a different team. Now I see players enjoying themselves, players looking confident, smiling and joking among themselves, but serious and with good intensity on the pitch. This is what I want."
Nicaragua head coach Henry Duarte on what he expects Friday, per Nacion: "It's going to be a difficult game. We have to be smart. We can't play a physical game. We have to maintain possession of the ball. I don't know if they [Jamaica] think we're an easy opponent, but we're going to try and deliver the first crucial blow."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Despite a shambolic performance in the 2015 Gold Cup final, Michael Hector performed well enough to catch the eye of Jose Mourinho. The 23-year-old was transferred from Reading to Chelsea and then promptly loaned back. In four appearances this season, he's averaging two clearances, 1.8 interceptions and will be the key to preventing an all-important away goal from Nicaragua.
Jamaica's Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Miller; Lawrence, Hector, Edwards, Mariappa; Grant, Williamson, Austin, Dawkins; Barnes, Mattocks
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Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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