Shot-Shy Jamaica Off Target With Their Goal To Reach Qatar 2022
Paul Hall’s mission to steer Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz towards qualification for the FIFA World Cup finals is over, after Costa Rica snatched a slender 1-0 success at the National Stadium in Kingston last night (2 February).
Former Arsenal striker Joel Campbell, who is of Jamaican descent, earned a spot-kick on the hour-mark that was saved by skipper Andre Blake. But two minutes later he grabbed what proved to be the winner.
The must-win match was literally a game of two halves with the Boyz in cruise control for the first 45 minutes. Costa Rica were both canny and creative in the second half, and should have registered a bigger victory.
It was another dismal display overall from Hall’s misfiring troops, who would have still relied on a mathematical miracle to qualify for Qatar 2022 even if they had snatched maximum points against Costa Rica.Played behind closed doors, due to COVID precautions, the eerie silence within the empty National Stadium made it more like a training match although Jamaica made a promising start.
Hall, who has yet to avoid defeat since the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) gave head coach Theodore Whitmore the boot last month, opted for a 3-5-2 formation. This initially worked wonders as the hosts toyed with Costa Rica, dominating possession and came the closest side to breaking the deadlock.
Yet goalkeeper Keylor Navas fended off the rare dangers. The Paris Saint-Germain stopper denying first-half chances from Ravel Morrison as well as strikers Andre Gray and Michail Antonio.
Morrison, who has started each World Cup qualifier under Hall, tried his luck with an ambitious long-range free-kick only for Navas to punch away the 25th-minute effort. The loose ball fell at the feet of Gray, but the experienced Navas was swift to smoulder the danger.
Big things had been expected of the burly Antonio, Jamaica’s leading scorer in the World Cup qualifiers with three goals. Yet again he was lagging, and on 36 minutes raced into the area but with his back to goal was dispossessed by the industrious Navas.
Gray and Antonio both had perfect opportunities to put the Boyz ahead just before half-time, only for the duo to each miscue their respective shots from 10 yards.
Hall would surely have been delighted with his side’s first-half showing, despite the lack of goalscoring opportunities and poor finishing.
Devon Williams added some much-needed impetus after the turnaround, but rushed his effort to send it sailing over the target. Antonio was replaced by Javon East, as the hosts desperately needed to score.
The Boyz then found themselves on the back foot, with Alonso Martinez misguiding his close-range header to the right of the gaping goalmouth in the 59th-minute.
Less than 60 seconds after this glaring miss Mexican referee Marco Ortiz awarded a penalty, after substitute Kevin Stewart brought down Campbell. Blake’s diving save to prevent veteran midfielder Celso Borges’ thumping spot-kick handed the Boyz a lifeline.
But Jamaica’s dreams of reaching Qatar were dashed two minutes later, when Campbell slotted home a slick left-footed finish after cutting inside a pair of stunned defenders.
The Central Americans steamed forward seeking to double their advantage, pinning the Boyz into their own half. Hall wisely altered his tactics ,with Lamar Walker and Peter-Lee Vassell thrown into the cauldron in placed of Morrison and the largely ineffective Bobby Decordova-Reid.
Gray came the closest to snatching a shock equaliser, but screwed his 70th-minute shot wide at the back post when he had Navas wrong-footed.
The Boyz failed to create any further clear cut chances as Costa Rica closed down their superb passing game displayed in the first half to earn much-needed maximum points.
For Hall this was a reality check with a third narrow defeat on the bounce, although his results fail to reflect their opponent’s superiority. Having suffered a 2-1 reversal to Mexico, followed by a 3-2 defeat to Panama and then the Costa Rica result gives the 49-year-old an unwanted 100 percent losing record in his four matches at the helm.
Jamaica had required a minimum of six points from these three matches to remain in the mix to qualify for November’s World Cup finals. Their dream is now in tatters. With a trio of matches remaining then it is back to the drawing board for the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).
The JFF, who seemed hasty in axing Whitmore after results had improved although clinical finishing was still lacking, have a chance to put matters right with matches against El Salvador, table-topping Canada and basement side Honduras in March.
Whether the JFF, who appear cautious not to splash the cash, decide to replace Hall for these three matches to save humiliation remains to be seen.
With nothing but pride to play for then it is questionable whether the expense of bringing in players from England will be worth the money, and at least fringe players who are training at the JFF’s Kingston Academy would get a taste for the international arena.
One thing for sure is that the Boyz are in total disarray with their World Cup qualifying campaign an overall disaster. Just one victory from eight World Cup qualifiers cost Whitmore his job, and Hall’s dismal record in the eight-team group of a trio of defeats is unlikely to improve.
As the Boyz have now got into the habit of being unable to win matches, then the JFF need to start drawing up plans to install a head coach who can restore Jamaica’s place as one of the top teams in the CONCACAF region as Hall’s teams are ineffective.
JAMAICA: Blake – Pinnock, Mariappa, King – Leigh, Morrison (Walker, 69), Williams (Stewart, 65), Decordova-Reid (Vassell, 69), Brown – Antonio (East, 58), Gray. Subs not used: Miller, Knight, Powell, Johnson, Burke, Flemmings, Lawrence
CONCACAF World Cup qualifying results: El Salvador 0 Canada 2, Jamaica 0 Costa Rica 1, Mexico 1 Panama 0, USA 3 Honduras 0
CONCACAF World Cup qualifying table (after 11 games): Canada 25pts (+14 goal difference), USA 21pts (+9), Mexico 21pts (+6), Panama 17pts (+1), Costa Rica 16pts (+1), El Salvador 9pts (-7), Jamaica 7pts (-8), Honduras 3pts (-17)
Jamaica’s remaining matches
El Salvador (h) 24 March, Canada (a) 27 March, Honduras (h) 30 March
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