By Nodley Wright, Staff ReporterTHE YOUNG Reggae Boyz yesterday left themselves with a mountain to climb in their quest for a place in the FIFA World Youth Championships in Finland later this year when they lost 0-2 to their Mexican Under 17 counterparts at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex.
A second leg qualifier is scheduled for Mexico on April 27 in Mexico City which has never been a happy hunting ground for outside footballers of even better standing in world football than Jamaica. Substitute Emilio Lopez Navarro put his team ahead in the 77th minute.
He was again involved in his team's second goal, putting in a lovely cross from the left which was turned on goal by Manuel Mariaca Cagigal for it to be finished off by another substitute, Pedro Osorio Vazquez, at the 88th minute.
Jamaica's technical director Carl Brown said his team was let down by poor finishing.
"We just did not put away our chances today," Brown said.
"We created some chances today but it is one of the things. If you talk about something worrying... it is the lack of power up front. Again we saw that was lacking out there today," he added.
While conceding that it will be very difficult for his team to get back in the World Championship frame, he was still able to take positives from the game.
"I believe the team itself will recognise that they can compete with this Mexican team. It is going to be much tougher now that we are two goals down."
Humberto Grondona, the coach of Mexico, said through an interpreter that it was a good game and that his team will play attacking football on the return leg.
Mexico, despite not looking like a team of the highest order, appeared a far more organised unit than the Young Boyz who looked like a dis-jointed bunch. Even with their style of play Jamaica continued to create chances and half chances with Miller having two drives on goal.
His first in the 28th minute with the right boot from just outside the area was tipped for a corner. A left-footer on the stroke of half time curled just outside the left upright.
Mexico clearly had the better of the second half and could have taken lead in the 48th minute but Murguia Mongalez fired just wide at the last minute under a challenge from Keneil Moodie.
The game swung further in the favour of Mexico with the substitution of Philip Hall for Christopher Williams. Hall, whose substitution was met with displeasure by a large section of the crowd, was having a good game in a controlling role and the score was 0-0 at the time.
