CINCINNATI, Ohio – When one takes an initial look at the Jamaican Gold Cup roster, players who star in England’s Premier League quickly catch the eye, like Leon Bailey and Demarai Gray.
Those players have enjoyed excellent performances in this Gold Cup, but at the heart of Jamaica’s arrival to Sunday’s quarterfinal match-up with Guatemala has been midfield motor Kevon Lambert.
The 26-year-old has been nearly impeccable in the center of the park for the Reggae Boyz, winning aerial duels, making tackles, recovering balls, intercepting passes and playing line-splitting passes for teammates, giving a precious balance to the Jamaican team that is so deeply valued by Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Lambert embraces his box-to-box role and says that his midfield motor mentality comes from within.
“Those are things that I take pride in. If I'm going into a challenge, I always want to win it. I always want to win the header. I always want to win my tackles and stuff like that, so I take pride in those and I always want to come out of those duels or whatever it is that I'm doing,” said Lambert in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com prior to Jamaica’s Sunday quarterfinal.
“I always want to come up with the ball or do something positive. For me, it's always been something that I had in me. It's not like it came out just recently, but it's something that I've been doing and something that I plan on doing while adding more stuff to my game,” added Lambert.
Lambert is appearing in his third Gold Cup with Jamaica, with his previous appearances coming in the 2017 and 2019 editions.
The Phoenix Rising man played a big role in helping Jamaica reach the Final in the 2017 tournament when he was just 20 years old, playing in five matches and starting four. Lambert has very fond memories of that summer from six years ago.
“I think what made it special was that we were the underdog team. We weren't any nobody's preference. We just showed up and we stayed focused, and we went straight to the final. I think going to the final was my favorite moment. And even though we didn't win, it was still a great experience to go to the Gold Cup final,” said Lambert.
In particular, Lambert will never forget the silence that permeated throughout the Rose Bowl when Kemar Lawrence’s free kick goal in the final minutes delivered a 1-0 victory to Jamaica against Mexico in front of a Mexico-heavy crowd in Pasadena. Even though he was suspended and unable to play in the match, it ranks as a personal favorite.
“That was amazing. In that game I had yellow card accumulation, so I was suspended for that Mexico game. I was in the stands watching that game and it was a wild experience. That game was great. I enjoyed watching it. We scored a free kick against them and just to experience that with so many people, it was a great atmosphere,” said Lambert.
Since 2017 Lambert has been a part of the Phoenix Rising in the USL Championship and year after year ranks as one of the best midfielders in the league. What fans in Phoenix have been witnessing for seasons is now on full display in the greatest national team showcase in the Concacaf region, and it would not be a surprise if clubs from near and far begin to take a greater interest in the Jamaican mainstay.
“If I get the opportunity and it's one that suits me, and all parties, definitely I could see myself making another step forward. Because as a player you always want to play at the highest level,” concluded Lambert.
