Tony Becca
JAMAICA'S GOLD Cup campaign ended in disappointment on Saturday when they were beaten by the United States of America.
After defeating Guatemala 4-3, drawing 3-3 with South Africa, and losing 0-1 to Mexico, Jamaica, squeezing into the quarter-finals as one of the two best third-placed teams, lost 1-3 to the USA in what can only be described as a disappointing performance.
Going into the match in search of their first victory against the USA in 15 previous attempts, Jamaica were clearly the underdogs - so much so that but for the die-hard fans, victory was more a hope than an expectation.
The disappointment, therefore, was not that Jamaica lost. Remembering the occasions when Jamaica gave the Americans a good run for their money, however, the disappointment was that Jamaica not only conceded three goals before their consolation strike late in the game, but also that they failed to put up a fight.
Was it, as so many have suggested, because they were tired after flying from state to state?
NON EXISTENT MIDFIELD
That may well be so. The truth, however, is that Jamaica's midfield was non existent, their attack was aimless, their defence was so porous it was like a sieve, and it was like that, not only towards the end of the match, but also from the very beginning of the contest - or rather the non-contest.
For most of the match, Jamaica, who muffed a glorious opportunity to cancel America's fifth-minute goal when they missed a sixth-minute penalty, were nothing more than spectators as the USA, a tactically well prepared USA, ripped Jamaica apart with some wonderful passing.
The USA were so confident, so superior, that even when it was only a one-goal lead they played as if they could not lose - as if Jamaica could not score a goal.
Looking back at Jamaica's campaign, it was good in some respects and bad in some.
The good things about Jamaica's play were that they scored nine goals in four matches, that they showed good character while coming back three times to draw with South Africa, and for those performances they deserve a pat on the back.
On the flip side of that, however, Jamaica failed to score against Mexico, they scored, after the contest was over, only once against the USA, although they gave up only one goal against Mexico they conceded nine goals in the other three matches, and on top of that, they picked up three red cards in four matches.
And Jamaica were lucky. There were so many reckless and dangerous tackles that they could easily have picked up a few more red cards - something which could have left them playing not with 10 men, but with nine in a match or two or even three.
Did Jamaica have a good Gold Cup? Although their tackling needs to be addressed, although their defence was so weak, although their midfield was missing so often, although they failed to score against Mexico, and although they missed a penalty that may have injected some life into them and put the fear of God into the USA, remembering that they only lost to Mexico in the preliminary group, that they got to the quarter-finals, and that they were knocked out of the semi-finals by the USA - the number 10 ranked team in the world, they certainly did and no one should complain.
TRUE TO FORM
What is important is that in terms of results - of matches won, drawn or lost, Jamaica did not disappoint. In fact, they played true to form.
Lest it be forgotten, Jamaica played Guatemala, South Africa, Mexico and the USA, and based on FIFA's rankings, based on past results in matches between Jamaica and those teams, with Jamaica (41) defeating Guatemala (62) - as they have done on previous occasions, with Jamaica drawing with South Africa (40) - as they have always done, and with Jamaica losing to Mexico (6) and the USA (10) - two teams they have never ever defeated, they did as well as could have been expected.
Unlike the other quarter-final teams that failed to make it to the semi-finals, at least Jamaica were not embarrassed.
On Saturday, Costa Rica, ranked 21, lost to Honduras who are ranked at 50; on Sunday, South Africa lost to Panama who are ranked at 97; and also on Sunday, Mexico were knocked out by the 26th ranked Colombia.
