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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 23 2004 : 7:10:15 PM
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Downtrodden Jamaica’s dog days continue
Since qualifying for the 1998 FIFA World Cup France™, Caribbean maestros Jamaica have been in a dangerous tail spin of poor form, organisational upheaval and general confusion. With a patchwork side cobbled together from foreign and domestic-based players, the Germany 2006 qualifying campaign was no exception as the team went tumbling out after a below par display in the semi-final round of North and Central American and Caribbean qualifiers.
With Brazil-born boss Sebastio Lazaroni back in the coaching hot seat for a second stint with the Jamaicans, many were expecting a return to good fortunes for the skill-merchants of the Caribbean. But things could not have gone worse once a first ball was kicked in anger. Their first semi-final Group 1 match against rising powers the United States set the stage for a campaign of abject failure, after having a surprisingly tough time with Haiti in the previous round.
Up 1-0 with just seconds to go at their fortress-like National Stadium in Kingston (known as ‘the Office’), a defensive blunder allowed the lead – and a dream start to the campaign – to slip agonisingly away. From there on out, things only got worse as Jamaica’s one-time talismanic home ground turned into a theatre of nightmares.
A 90th–minute strike from Dely Valdes gave highly unfancied Panama an unlikely three points in the Jamaican capital in the next match (2-1). A 3-0 away win over group whipping boys El Salvador in their next match looked to have the islanders back on track. But it was merely a welcome blip for the side that always looked disorganised and jumbled with their choppy mixture of native newcomers and foreign-born and based stars.
Two successive draws with El Salvador and Panama set up a Herculean task in their final match. Needing a qualifying win on the road against the U.S. - a feat they had not pulled off in their history - had hopes of a second spot at a FIFA World Cup finals looking like a road well and truly too far. And even up against a makeshift American side, the Jamaicans could only muster a 1-1 draw as their Germany 2006 journey came to a screeching halt with just 7 points from six matches – one behind surprise packages Panama.
Known as the scoring kings of the Caribbean sub-region, the Jamaicans lack of class in front of goal was conspicuous to say the least. With only seven goals in the six semi-final round matches (three of which came against doormats El Salvador), they looked a pale shadow of the side that always manages to entertain in North/Central and Caribbean Zone competitions. Marlon King was the top scorer got the Boyz with six goals in qualifying.
The wretched run of performances sounded the death knell for head coach Lazaroni. In truth, it must have been no surprise. “I'm very disappointed and very unhappy,” he told reporters after the team's arrival at the airport in Kingston. “I came here with all my knowledge about football to try to do well for Jamaica.”
One thing is now certain, it will take more than a foreigner’s knowledge of the game to repair the wounded pride festering on the island following one of the poorest qualifying campaigns in recent memory.
FIFA.com
Facts:
Founded 1910
Affiliated 1962
WC participations 1 (1998)
WC honours None
Continental Titles None
Facts
* Jamaica are making their tenth bid to qualify for the FIFA World Cup™. In 1998, they reached the finals in France, where their exuberant fans made their support felt.
* The team did not let them down: though they lost to Croatia and Argentina, two late goals saw them defeat Japan 2-1.
* Jamaica first took part in the FIFA World Cup preliminaries in 1966, when they were beaten by Costa Rica. In 1974 they withdrew and in 1986 they were not accepted into the qualifying competition. Their best win to date is a 12-0 victory over the British Virgin Islands in 1994.
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Karl |
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World Cup 2006 - Postmortem
