CHICAGO — The Copa America Centenario represents the grandest stage Jamaica has reached since the 1998 World Cup, but when the Reggae Boyz took the pitch at Soldier Field for their tournament opener Sunday, they found themselves without their captain and highest-profile player.
Defender Wes Morgan, who lifted the Premier League trophy last month as captain of Leicester City, was reduced to a role off the bench in Jamaica's 1-0 loss to Venezuela because fatigue from celebrating the unlikely title.
"Any professional player wants to play every game, and me the same," Morgan said. "It wasn't easy to watch the game, but we've got very, very good players in the team and they're more than capable of going out there and doing the job. I was happy to wait for my chance."
Morgan was a late arrival for Jamaica's Copa America preparations, participating in just two training sessions before Sunday's match. Leicester's campaign ended May 15 with a draw against Chelsea, but Morgan joined the club for a postseason tour of Thailand.
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"Wes Morgan has come, but he is tired — that is clear," Jamaica coach Winfried Schafer said before the match. "All week, he has not trained. He partied in London and Thailand, but I am very happy he is here and maybe he can help in the second match, but not the first match because it is too difficult."
Schafer subsequently went with Jermaine Taylor and Adrian Mariappa in central defense against Venezuela after the duo started a 2-1 friendly win over defending Copa America champion Chile on May 27.
"Obviously I only trained twice since I joined up with the squad and the boys have been together for over a week and they have a good performance against Chile," Morgan said. "I feel like I could have done with a few more training sessions, definitely. The manager asked me how I felt and I said, 'You know, I feel OK.' So I let him make a decision."
Although Schafer indicated Morgan wouldn't play any part against Venezuela, the 32-year-old center back was called upon in the 40th minute when defender Kemar Lawrence was sidelined with a groin injury.
Morgan asserted himself well for a Jamaica side that already had been reduced to 10 men by Rodolph Austin's 23rd-minute red card, keeping the Caribbean side's hopes of a result alive by preserving the one-goal deficit.
"I felt like I grew into the match," Morgan said. "At the start it was quite tough, not having a proper warm-up and going straight into the game. It was a hot day and 10 men and it was a goal down, so it was all against me but I felt OK. Coming into a tough game was never going to be easy."
The loss to an underdog Venezuela side puts Jamaica in a tough spot, with Morgan and Co. set to face Mexico on Thursday before wrapping the group stage against Uruguay on June 13.
"Obviously it's not going to be easy now," Morgan said. "We've got two tough games still to go, but then we have to still believe. On our day we can give anyway a good game."
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