A disconsolate Under-17 coach David Hunt, after the team was beaten by Trinidad and Tobago. - Ian Allen/Staff PhotographerTHE DEBATE and criticisms have slowly faded from the public domain of the national Under-17 team's failure to qualify for the World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in South Korea from August 18 to September 9 this year.
Yet, many questions remain unanswered.
Why didn't the team play more international games leading up to the final qualifying round? On what basis did Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Crenston Boxhill declare this team Jamaica's most prepared youth team for a World Cup qualifier? And why is coach David Hunt seemingly the only one being criticised for the team's failure? How much of the blame should be put on the JFF?
What about the Under-17 team? Will it remain together for the next Under-20 World Cup qualifiers? If the academy was ready, would it have made a difference in the team's preparations?
If a nation's football success is based solely on World Cup qualification, Jamaica's football is currently in the doldrums. The Under-17 team's failure marks the fifth Jamaican team that has failed to qualify for a World Cup starting with the senior men's team in October 2004.
Of course, this is not the first time all of Jamaica's teams have not qualified in a three or four-year span. But with previous qualifications and big-name technical directors come a ravenous desire for achievement, be it logical or not.
Early losses
The Under-17 team, with home advantage in its favour and good odds of three of the five teams advancing, entered the competition with qualification almost a certainty. But two early losses to Canada and Costa Rica put the Young Boyz in a predicament.
An amazing comeback against United States, which saw them scoring three goals in the final 12 minutes to emerge 3-2 winners gave them hope, but a subsequent 1-0 loss to Trinidad and Tobago saw the winners nabbing the final spot ahead of Jamaica.
One of the most pressing issues surrounding the Under-17 team's preparation was the lack of international games before for the tournament.
The Young Boyz' 2-0 win over Mexico in February at the Harbour View Mini Stadium was a historic win for Jamaica. It evoked hope and optimism that Jamaica was on its way.
Historic win
However, the win may have been blown out of proportion, a Mexico were the reigning Under-17 world champions, they were not the same side. That game was the only international friendly played. Previously, there was the CFU Youth Cup in Trinidad in August, and a three-game series in the United States last May.
The subsequent preparation games were played against major league teams with bigger and stronger players.
However, at this level it is believed nothing would have prepared the team better than playing against players of their own age group from top footballing nations. In preparation for the final qualifying round, the successful '99 squad toured Brazil, France, El Salvador and the United States as well as playing against local senior teams.
The JFF said it spent more than $30 million on the Under-17 team.
Approximately $17 million was spent on hosting, while the remainder was spent on preparing the team.
Why wasn't an international tour included in the budget? Was it seen as an unnecessary expense seeing there were three available spots and the hosts would be one of the favourites?
Was it because of the more than $30 million spent why JFF president Crenston Boxhill declared this youth team the best prepared ever?
Approximately half of the 20-man squad had previously played on the Under-15 and Under-16 teams and the players had lived together from January 8. Did these factors influence Boxhill's statement?
Blame on hunt
With that in mind, why does all the blame seem to be resting squarely on the shoulders of coach David Hunt. Prior to his appointment, Hunt along with Excelsior's Lebert Halliman, and former youth coach Jackie Walters were seen as three of the best youth coaches in the island. And his appointment in February 2006 did not come as a surprise.
In the past three years, Hunt has won the Manning Cup and All-island Olivier Shield with Calabar High, as well as finishing runners-up and third place in the Manning Cup. His club, Meadhaven United, has dominated the youth tournaments in Kingston and St. Andrew for the past five years.
The Under-13 team has won four of the past six championships, the Under-15 team has won four of the past five championships, and the Under-20 team is league and knockout champions for two years in a row.
No words with media
Hunt appeared to have made a personal decision not to respond to any of the many things being said of him, whether they are true or not. Since his interview on the night of May 6 following the 1-0 loss to Trinidad, Hunt has not spoken to the media. One school of thought for this is that he feels he is being personally attacked by some fellow coaches and members of the media.
But what about the accountability of the JFF? Hunt may be in charge of the team, but he can only work within the parameters of the JFF and those parameters are normally limited by resources, particularly money. Did Hunt request an overseas tour that wasn't granted. Did he request more tools to work with that he is yet to receive?
And what about the 20 youths who adjusted their lives to pursue a dream. Several of them who live outside of the Corporate Area moved to Kingston and transferred to schools in the capital for four months.
Will there be any continuity which will see most of them competing in the next Under-20 qualifiers or will they all fade into obscurity?
And will the much-talked about football academy be ready for the next stage of qualifiers? Work at the site in Malvern, St. Elizabeth has been on and off due to the hold up of funds by FIFA. The revised August deadline for the first phase of the academy, which includes the construction of the administration building, sleeping area and lecture rooms, may be pushed back.
The academy should be completed as quickly as possible to ensure it does what it was set out to do.
Past players sound off
AS IT turns out, another group that was deeply gutted by the non-qualification of the national Under-17 squad is the players who were a part of the successful team in 1999.
Coaches Jackie Walters and Dean Weatherly led Jamaica's first junior football team to a world tournament in New Zealand a year after the senior team made its debut in France in 1998.
The common theme among the two players The Gleaner spoke with was an obvious lack of preparation by the team.
"I think the team lacked maturity and lacked leadership," said goalkeeper Allien Whittaker.
"And as a past Under-17 player I was a bit cut-up when I heard the criticism in the stands."
Whittaker, who attended the games against Canada and the United States, but watched the other two on television, said an interesting fact of life forced his '99 squad to be mature and play that way.
Baby fathers
"More than half of the squad were baby fathers," Whittaker pointed out, adding people always laugh when he told the story. "One particular player had three and the oldest was three months."
That forced maturity with the invaluable overseas games played, something that was lacking from this past squad, enabled their success, reasoned the outstanding goalie.
The 1999 squad toured Brazil, El Salvador and the U.S. in preparation for the final qualifying leg, which was also playedin Jamaica. Apart from the CFU Under-16 tournament in Trinidad last August, which a number of the members of the Under-17 squad played in, their only overseas tournament was a three-game series in the U.S. last May. They also played an international friendly against Mexico at home in February.
The rest of their preparation included playing against older players from local clubs.
"That's the key - playing international games," said defender Kevin King. "You've got to play against better players to see what you'll be up against. When we played against Sao Paolo (Brazil) it gave us a better insight of how to match up."
King continued: "The U.S. were a well-organised side, but not as skilful as Jamaica. We had the individual skill but no team effort. The team played like a pick-up team and as if they were together for a week."
King also said while the success of the team is ultimately the coaches responsibility, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) should also receive some flak for the team's failure.
"They are the ones who decide whether the team goes overseas and play games," he pointed out.
Prior to the tournament, JFF president Crenston Boxhill declared the Under-17 team Jamaica's most prepared youth team ever entering the final round of a qualifying tournament. That statement has turned around to bite the administration.
Whittaker also said in analysing the coaching staff he was puzzled by the absence of the goalkeeper coach Clive Wedderburn and physical trainer Sean Samuels on the bench.
"Playing and seeing my goalkeeper coach, Paul Campbell, on the bench during games was a plus to me," said Whittaker. "He may have something to signal to me."
Whittaker said he gave a motivational speech to several of the players after the senior team had drawn 1-1 with Panama on March 26, but like most Jamaicans he was left disappointed after the team lost 1-0 to Trinidad and Tobago on May 6, which ended their chances of qualifying.
"I really wanted them to qualify because it would give the programme a big boost," he said.
- LeVaughn Flynn
