Nations League play continues as Jamaica lead Group A having played more games than Mexico. Scheduling has been tough with so many friendlies for the teams going to the World Cup, but Jamaica have a win and a draw over Suriname while Mexico have also defeated Suriname. El Tri are looking to use Nations League to bounce back from their disappointing friendly loss to Uruguay and scoreless draw versus Ecuador.
They were able to break out against Suriname with a rotated squad but continuing that growth while facing Jamaica will be tougher.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match, and more:
How to watch and odds
Date: Tuesday, June 14 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Independence Park — Kingston, Jamaica
TV and live stream: Paramount+
Odds: Jamaica +250; Draw +210; Mexico -101 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Jamaica: It’s a period of transition. After a large push to recruit dual nationals to the team, not qualifying for the World Cup came as a big blow to Jamaica. Most dual nationals weren’t called up for this window after long European seasons, but it’s a good time to see Leon Bailey return to health against top opposition. This is a team that will be judged more by their process than results, but getting a result at home against Mexico would certainly be helpful.
Mexico: Entering with a clean bill of health, Mexico will want to get the goalscoring going while relying on their strong defense. Tata Martino gets a lot of stick due to the performance of the attack, but this is one of the most defensively sound Mexico squads in years. If they can keep that up, they’ll be just fine in Qatar.
Prediction
Mexico’s scoring woes come back to bite them against a Jamaica team that can beat you on the break and the points will be shared. Pick: Jamaica 1, Mexico 1