As if I needed any further evidence that my brain has gone on vacation for a while, I completely whiffed on remembering two events last week.

The first was the infamous 9/11, which even though I didn't know anyone personally who perished or had a relative who perished, is usually something I at least remember. Wasn't until looong into the day that the synapses started functioning again. The other event that I totally forgot was something that impacted us here in good old Jamaica; Hurricane Gilbert. Albeit I was just seven years old but still, I expect to have the date marked in my memory. Didn't happen and I'm left wondering if I should start taking some gingko biloba to improve my memory. Too bad I forgot where it's sold.

By the way, the Reggae Boyz answered my call to beat the United States (US) at the National Stadium. Unfortunately for us, it has been downhill since then. Guess I didn't specify that I would have liked them to still qualify from the group. Hmm, my fault. That's what happens when you wish with genies. You have to give them clear, unambiguous requests because despite their good nature, they don't really want to grant you anything.

Hush ...

But anyway, playing the US again just four days later, on the aforementioned September 11 no less, we lost. Not the worst performance from a Reggae Boyz team, but certainly not the best either. Our poor goalkeeper who was working Old Testament miracles in the first half, got tired and couldn't keep out the game-winner. Guess it was written in the stars though; the US were never going to lose on that day, you know? Kind of like life's way of telling them, even after all these years, "Hush, nuh mind." I, for once, will not grudge the US anything on this one. But just this once; all bets are off after this.

Unfortunately for us, life and sports just aren't very fair. That's because in one game, we moved from first in the group to third. Just so! So now, if Guatemala beat wi up on October 12 and the US bad up Antigua, all of a sudden Jamaica is left with so-so seven points, three adrift of the other two teams. So if Uncle Sam's boys and the Central Americans go to their final game against each other and play dandy-shandy for 90 minutes they would both end up on 11. Even if the Reggae Boyz give hopeless Antigua 9-0 (which we won't anyway), that's it! The only way we go to Rio 2014 World Cup is buying the tickets ourselves.

But, hope springs eternal, and if a pessimistic punk like me can say that, anyone can (fingers crossed).

Link me at daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com