ATLANTA – Two on one, that’s the way Jamaica head coach Winfried Schaefer jokingly described Wednesday’s Gold Cup semifinal against the United States (6 pm ET; FOX Sports 1, UniMas in the US, SN World in Canada).
In what will be an all-German managerial matchup, the two Schaefer was referring to were US head coach Jurgen Klinsmann and advisor Berti Vogts, a former teammate of the Jamaica head coach at Borussia Monchengladbach.
The one, of course, was himself.
All jokes aside – the Reggae Boyz boss elicited more than a few laughs during his pregame press conference – Wednesday night’s opening matchup at the Georgia Dome harkens back to biblical lore and an age-old parable pitting overwhelming favorite against plucky underdog.
"It feels like David against Goliath," Schaefer told reporters. "That's fine. We will try to hit the giant where it hurts the most."
Should Jamaica buck history – the US are 13-1-8 all-time against the islanders, with the lone loss coming in Sept. 2012 during World Cup qualifying – and make their first-ever Gold Cup final, they’ll do so against a team that knows them well.
And as Schaefer alluded to during his press conference, both coaching staffs go back decades, too.
“Our paths crossed many times,” Klinsmann said. “He’s a very charismatic, very energetic coach and was the same as a player. I’m not surprised about his work with Jamaica because he’s very strategic, he’s smart, he’s very much able to adjust to different cultures and mentalities and different environments.
“That’s what he’s doing now with Jamaica, and he’s coached many other nations and clubs around the world. He’s very, very competitive, so he will tell his players everything possible to make things miserable for us, difficult for us.”
On Tuesday evening, however, Schaefer seemed more focused on shifting any and all pressure off his team and onto the US. Not that anyone needs much convincing.
While Jamaica plays for an unprecedented opportunity, their tournament is already a clear success, the Americans are shooting for a sixth straight final and a title that would mean automatic qualification for the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.
And although the Reggae Boyz are happy to assume the role of David, they do so with the belief that a well-placed rock can knock one of CONCACAF’s two reigning giants of their perch before the final.
"It's a fantastic feat for us as a country [to be here] and we want more and this is an opportunity for us to go to the final and we have to take it," Jamaica assistant Miguel Coley told the Jamaica Observer. "To beat the USA, the formula has to be to win at all cost, so it's a tough mindset going out there to represent our country.”
With heavy MLS representation on both rosters and plenty of CONCACAF clashes serving as reference points over the years, US captain Michael Bradley doesn’t expect to be surprised by a Jamaica side that is in “a good way” at the moment.
“We know them well,” Bradley said. “They have a unique blend of organization and discipline but also athleticism. Guys who, especially on their own, can use their speed and quality to cause real trouble.”
Thought Bradley didn’t name names, it’s a safe assumption that Houston Dynamo forward Giles Barnes is among those the American captain had in mind.
Like many of his teammates, Barnes, who scored the game-winning goal against Haiti in the quarterfinals, was a member of the Jamaica squad that held its own in Chile at Copa America in June, an experience that set them up for Gold Cup success in July.
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“[Barnes] is playing a very good tournament. Impressive, and we know him well from MLS so we’ll have a special eye on him,” Klinsmann said before smiling and adding his own joke. “He’s not going to do so well tomorrow night.”
The Reggae Boyz failed to make the knockout stage against South American opposition after losing three games by identical 1-0 scorelines, but there may be no better time than the present to make their presence felt in their own region.
Like David, all they need is an opportunity, one that comes at a perfect time for a Jamaica team playing as well as any in recent memory.
“They are probably the best prepared team in this competition because of how they structured everything with the Copa America,” Klinsmann said. “… They are in full flow.”
