Visa Gate Hits Mount Pleasant: Ten Jamaicans Barred From U.S. for LA Galaxy Clash

Visa hurdles hit Mount Pleasant ahead of LA Galaxy clash

Serious efforts to resolve the issue ahead of the match.

A major crisis has emerged in the CONCACAF Champions League this season, after ten players from the Jamaican Mount Pleasant Academy were barred from entering the United States.

The New York Times reported that ten players from the Jamaican Mount Pleasant Academy could miss the trip to Los Angeles for the Round of 16 clash in the CONCACAF Champions League against Los Angeles Galaxy.

This comes amid visa issues related to entry restrictions imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Jamaican squad includes six players from Haiti, among the nations affected by the new immigration measures.

Sources within the club told the New York Times that visa applications for several other Jamaican players have been rejected or delayed.

Concacaf said it is working with Mount Pleasant to resolve the issue before the match on Wednesday.

Given the visa issues affecting some players, coach Theodore Whitmore may be forced to field several academy players to complete the lineup.

The club's sporting director Paul Christie expressed regret, saying, "We don't just want to be present for the match—we want to be able to compete," noting that the return leg is set for March 19 in Kingston.

Sniper joke: If visa stamps were goals, Mount Pleasant would be top of the table—only the border control keeps blocking the shot.

Sniper joke 2: In football as in politics, kickoff times are negotiable, but visas always wait in line at the back post.