Daraine Luton, Freelance WriterJAMAICA'S FOOTBALL suffered another major blow on Friday night when the Under-20s, upon whose shoulders the ailing national programme rested, failed to qualify for July's World Youth Championships in the Netherlands.
Although still with a game in hand against Canada this evening in Honduras, the young Reggae Boyz are yet to get a point after two games, making it impossible for them to advance from the four-team group to the Netherlands.
Canada, with six points, have already booked a place in the World Championships while Mexico and Honduras, with three points apiece, will play tonight for the group's final berth.
The Jamaicans went down 4-3 to the hosts in their first game on Wednesday night and were edged 1-0 by Mexico on Friday evening.
National coach Wendell Downswell, like many, saw the Under-20s' qualification as a key factor in resuscitating football in Jamaica. Following the disappointment of the senior Reggae Boyz who failed to qualify for Germany 2006, Downswell said it was important for the young Boyz to repeat the feat they first accomplished in 2001.
"The fact that our train has been derailed (World Cup), we know that the Caribbean Cup and the Under-20s will have to restore the pride," Downswell told The Gleaner on January 7.
YOUNG PLAYERS
In the run-up to the last hurdle, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) took the bold decision to include a host of young players in the senior national squad in order for them to gain the experience of playing top-level football.
Goalkeeper Ryan Thompson, midfielders Akeem Pristley and Mario Harrison, defender Jermaine Taylor and strikers Luton Shelton and Richard West were all given a look at top-flight international football.
Added to this, the JFF enlisted a group of psychologists to help the players work on the mental side of the game.
Downswell's boys also had some impressive results leading into the qualifiers, the most noteworthy among them being a 2-1 win over a full strength Tivoli Gardens and a 5-0 whipping of Haiti last weekend.
Jamaica were seeking their second berth in the World Championships after playing in Argentina in 2001. They earned their place in the CONCACAF final round after claiming Caribbean Football Union (CFU) honours with wins over Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda and St. Lucia, and then eliminating Haiti in a two-game, second-round series.
When Jamaica participated the last time around they drew 0-0 with eventual third-place finishers Egypt, lost 1-0 to Finland and crashed 5-1 to hosts Argentina, who went on to win the tournament in a handsome 3-0 triumph over Ghana in the final.
