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**Karl** · March 15, 2007, 05:50 PM

RE: Hunt cautious ahead of U-17 qualifiers

[quote]Mosiah (2/18/2007) [b]

No 60% effort here. From the opening whistle, it was clear both teams were going for the victory, if not the jugular.

The Boyz had the upper hand for the first 15 minutes or so, but just. John-Ross Doyley too up where he left off in the first game by firing harmless long range shots from midfield. Strikers Shavar Brown and Dever Orgill looked confident with the ball at their feet, and the left wingback, Christopher Banner overlapped well. Still, too much dribbling as opposed to the more efficient Mexican style of one and two touches of the ball, accompanied by strong running to support it.

After around 20 minutes, Mexico took control of the game. Mounting several attacks, most ending with tame shots to the goal, they kept the Boyz on their heels, camping out in the Boyz’ half for a good 15 minutes. They must have taken 10 unanswered shots to goal in that period.

Apparently forgetting how to defend, the Mexicans gave up the first goal. As the goalkeeper hesitated coming for the ball, while his defender motioned for him to do so, Orgill pounced on the loose ball and registered the first goal for the Boyz. His subsequent somersaulting expressed his delight. Once again, the world champion Mexicans were going to have to come from behind to win this.

Soon after that, The Boyz could have made it 2-0. A ball was intercepted in the Mexican half and passed to Orgill. He dismissed his marker neatly and fired past the advancing goalkeeper, missing the right upright. A pass instead to his teammate who was supporting him to his left may have resulted in a simple tap in.

Mexico’s best chance came minutes later. Sent through with a fine long pass, the Mexican striker shrugged off desperate pulls from the Jamaican sweeper and was left one-on-one with goalkeeper, Dennis Taylor. Inexplicably, his shot sailed skyward and everyone, except the visitors, breathed heavy sigh of relief.

If the first half was energetic, the second was even more so. Both sides began making several changes, and the Mexicans were in the ascendancy. Using their fine technical skills, they two-touched their way around the Boyz who defended stoutly. Substitute Jesus Millan took up a left winger role and became a thorn in the Boyz side. He became the focus of not just the players, but the fans as well as his less than Christ-like tackles earned him the ire of several players who, with the crowd’s encouragement, reminded him where he was. Had this been another field around the corporate area, it might have gotten ugly.

Losing concentration for moment, the Boyz apparently wanted to give the Mexicans a goal similar to their own. A defender hesitated with the ball in the area and by the time the goalkeeper advanced, substitute Raul Lopez, attempted a lob which bounced off the crossbar and out of danger.

Then it was our turn as we followed up with a header off the crossbar at the other end of the field following a good attacking move.

In the 85th minute, the Boyz sealed a good evening when substitute Andre Steele buried a good right-footer into left corner of the goal from 25 meters out. Jamaica 2, world champions Mexico 0.

In the dying moments, a freekick taken by the Mexicans near our penalty area, almost brought back one for them. Engineered to a tee, the ball was floated into the penalty area and could have been met by any of four totally unmarked Mexicans who had advanced from deep, beating the offside trap. Were it not for smart goalkeeping by Taylor who courageously saw the danger and punched the ball away, things could have been different.

This might be the first time a Jamaican team has beaten a world champion in any sport. Yet, there is still room for improvement. I wonder what would happen to any team in the world if we could play a two-touch game. The Mexicans were able to strin

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