Two former Rising players could be on the pitch as Jamaica looks to settle its path to the CONCACAF Gold Cup final.

The Reggae Boyz have already qualified out of Group C and will face a quarter final tie in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday. However, they currently trail Costa Rica on goals scored in group play, and any result short of a win against Los Ticos will see them finish in second place and face the United States.

“It’s an important game to us and we’re looking forward to it,” Jamaica coach Theodore Whitmore said. “We know that the Costa Ricans, it’s not going to be easy but I think, basically, we are prepared technically for the game. We just have to manage the game tomorrow and hope for a good result.”

After two wins, and feeling a need to keep the rest of his 22-man squad sharp, Whitmore pledged to make “a number of changes for the game tomorrow.”

That potentially opens the door to former Rising winger Junior Flemmings, who scored a late winner as a substitute in Jamaica’s previous match against Guadeloupe.

Also in the Jamaica squad is Damion Lowe, who featured for Rising on a short-term deal in the latter stages of the 2020 season. Lowe has started both matches of Jamaica’s Gold Cup campaign so far.

“The vibes in the group are good,” Flemmings said in the pre-match press conference. “It’s just another game in the group stage and we want to treat it as such.”

That attitude – of downplaying the importance of the match, and any preferences of path in the latter stages – was repeated throughout by his coach.

“We have a job to do, so it doesn’t really matter who we play,” Whitmore said. “We set our objective to play six games. We’ve gone two, we’re looking forward for the third. In our first phase, we’ve met our objective in qualifying for the quarter final. We have a game to play against Costa Rica. We’re going to do the best, and then take it from there.”

Jamaica faces Costa Rica at 4 p.m. Arizona time on Tuesday.