Dominant Jamaica Bag Precious World Cup Point
Watson ends dire home run for Reggae Boyz in Kingston
Je-Vaughn Watons’s diving first-half header got the National Stadium roaring, but Costa Rica battled back with Johnny Acosta levelling matters to share the spoils in their tense World Cup qualifier in Kingston on Friday. Watson superbly took his opportunity to unsettle the visitors, cooly converting Kemar Lawrence’s curling long ball from the left side and bury the ball past Real Madrid keeper Keylor Nava on 17 minutes.
And maximum points appeared to be there for Jamaica on home soil for the opening hour, which was a short-term relief for head coach Winfried Schäfer having suffered defeat in his past two home World Cup Qualifying games. Yet the Reggae Boyz failed to monopolise on their first-half dominance and allowed Le Sele to claw their way back on 67 minutes with a scrappy goal, making it three score draws on the bounce between these sides.
But a far more confident Jamaican team in the opening 45 minutes should have put the tie to bed, outsmarting the visitors who initially appeared at sixes and sevens in adapting to the 3-4-3 formation for only the fourth contest out of nine under coach Oscar Ramirez.
Although the Reggae Boyz were missing skipper Roldoph Austin and zippy striker Giles Barnes through injury, defender Adrian Mariappa took over the captain’s armband and seemed to have pressed the cruise control button for the first half.
With the National Stadium buzzing after Watson’s well taken goal, the Boyz were given plenty of deserved applause at the interval – a recent rarity for Schäfer’stroops.
Jamaica followed up their disastrous 3-2 home defeat to Nicaragua last September with a pitiful 2-0 loss against Panama in November at Kingston.
Schäfer stuck to his guns with a similar side to the one that scrapped past Haiti 1-0, allowing Watson a more roving role to break down Costa Rica.
Table-topping Le Sele had conceded just two goals in their previous five games, including a 1-0 shock friendly defeat to Venezuela with an experimental squad, so when Watson powered home the National Stadium went wild and Schäfer’s gamble paid off.
The speed and athleticism of the Boyz twisted and turned the visitors, only Ramirez’s defensive tactics and the imposing presence of shotstopper Navas prevented one-way traffic again after the turnaround.
But disappointment was once more dished up for fans of the Boyz when Acosta slotted home only his second international goal to keep Le Sele as Group B leaders after the third of six matches in this round.
Bryan Ruiz’s telling pass was deflected by Arsenal’s Joel Campbell into the path of Christian Bolanos, whose effort was blocked by keeper Andre Blake who at full stretch spilled the ball into the path of Acosta and he made no mistake from close range.
At least there was some good news for the Boyz at the final whistle as Panama were held to a scoreless draw by hosts Haiti in Port-au-Prince, leaving Jamaica level on four points with Panama and three points behind well organised Costa Rica..
The respective return legs on Tuesday gives all four sides the chance to edge closer to the final World Cup Qualifying round comprising six sides, but only two teams progress from Group B and it seems that it will be a straightforward battle between Jamaica and Panama to join Le Sele.
After tackling Costa Rican next week, the Boyz face the final two World Cup qualifiers in the space of five days during early September with a trip to Panama followed by what should be a certain three points in Kingston when Haiti are the visitors.
However, given the dreadful home form before the creditable score draw against the talented Costa Ricans, the Boyz will have to be back to their best by September.
Attacking midfielder Clayton Donaldson, who bagged a vital goal at Haiti on his first international start for the Boyz, admitted: “At home we haven’t had the best results recently, but we’re trying to change that in this little tournament we are having in these group stages.”
Jamaica:: Blake; Mariappa, Phillips (Taylor 77), Morgan, Lawrence; Powell, Hector; Williamson (Dawkins 61), McAnuff, Watson; Donaldson. Subs: Paul, Thompson, McCleary, Harris, Vanzie, Mattocks, Clennon, Orgill, Ottey
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