Sport

'Ja's Boyz were too cautious'

By GORDON WILLIAMS, Contributor

THE REGGAE BOYZ lacked the 'killer instinct' during their final qualifying game against the United States last year, which may have cost Jamaica a spot in World Cup 2006, according to one rival Caribbean coach.

Bertille St. Clair, current head coach of Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors, who are still in contention for a place in football's biggest show next year, said he watched the drawn U.S.-Jamaica game, played in Columbus, Ohio in mid-November. He believes the Reggae Boyz, who needed to win the match to advance to CONCACAF's final qualifying round of six, did not attack enough.

"I thought Jamaica should have opened up more," said St. Clair, whose team was in South Florida for several days preparing for its away qualifying match against Guatemala last Saturday.

St. Clair said he was impressed by Jamaica's quality, including the team's ability to keep possession of the ball during the game, which ended 1-1, but was puzzled the Boyz did not press forward more against the U.S.

"Why not go at it?" he asked rhetorically after again underlining the must win situation Jamaica faced entering the match.

Jamaica's failure to win resulted in Panama advancing, along with the U.S., from that group to the final round of CONCACAF qualifiers. Trinidad and Tobago reached the last round after finishing second to Mexico in its group. Costa Rica and Guatemala round out CONCACAF's final six.

St. Clair was quick to explain that he was not criticising the tactics used against the U.S. by Jamaica's coaching staff, then led by head coach Sebastiao Lazaroni and technical director Carl Brown, because he was not aware of the team's game plan.

"I don't blame the coaches," he said. "I don't know what they were thinking. Maybe the players did not follow instructions. I don't know."

Whatever the reason, Jamaica did not make it to the final round, and Brown and Lazaroni are no longer with Jamaica's national team. Wendell Downswell, who replaced them, has since guided the Reggae Boyz to the Digicel Caribbean Cup title.

In the end, St. Clair said he was not surprised Jamaica will not be at the 2006 World Cup. The evolution of world football, he explained, allows smaller nations to improve, and no country ­ even one like Jamaica which played in World Cup 1998 ­ is guaranteed success.

"What's happening in football is that things are changing," he explained.

Trinidad and Tobago lost their opening game of the final qualifying round 2-1 to the U.S. at home earlier this year, then on Saturday they were whipped 5-1 by Guatemala.

Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.