(ABOVE) The play of Allan Ottey (pictured) is key to Montego Bay United's potential success in the 2015/16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – First-game jitters out the way, forward Allan Ottey expects Montego Bay United to bounce back from a week one setback in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
The Jamaican power’s tournament debut ended in a 3-0 loss at Panama’s Arabe Unido.
“Our loss was unfortunate,” Ottey told CONCACAF.com. “Montego Bay United is a very good team and we just have to work hard and we will be successful.”
For the first 25 minutes on the Estadio Maracana pitch, Montego Bay held up well against the Expreso Azul, which was launching its fourth SCCL campaign.
Jose Gonzalez opened the scoring in the 29th minute and the advantage was doubled at the stroke of halftime with a well-taken free kick by Renan Addles. Substitute Enrico Small completed the scoreline with a 78th minute strike.
Adding to the sting of defeat, Ottey picked up one of United’s three cautions in the 46th minute.
The result has sent Montego Bay back to the drawing board to prepare for its next match -- also away -- on August 25 against D.C. United at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.
“We just have to come again, dig deep, work hard and get our A-game on,” Ottey said.
The 2013/14 Jamaican champion is in the midst of preseason training, but -- unlike his teammates -- Ottey has been busy with national team duty this summer.
He was on the Reggae Boyz’s roster for both the Copa America in June and the historic run to the CONCACAF Gold Cup final last month that saw Mexico lift the trophy after a 3-1 win.
Though he didn’t get minutes in either competition, Ottey recalls the experiences fondly.
“Seeing the top players in Copa America was very good,” remarked the 22-year-old. “The Gold Cup was a great experience for me, training hard with the team and being disciplined paid off.”
A man of few words, Ottey recounted his most memorable moment: “Defeating the United States in the semifinal was a proud one for me and the team.”
Despite not getting to showcase his renowned pace, power and scoring prowess for international football fans, some will readily rouse memory of the famous Ottey family’s trademark speed that was on display during Olympic Games of the 1980s and 1990s.
Allan, you see, is the cousin of Jamaica track and field legend Merlene Ottey, a nine-time Olympic sprint medalist.
Asked from where his quickness stems, Ottey quipped, “My speed comes from her.”
If a first-ever SCCL win is to be in the cards later this month, Montego Bay United will need Ottey to put that talent into overdrive.
