By Audley Boyd, Staff Reporter 
IAN ALEN/Staff Photographer
Jamaica's captain and central defender Alex Thomas (right) and Haiti's James St. Cyr battle for possession during their Caribbean zone Under-20 World Cup qualifier at Harbour View Mini Stadium yesterday. Haiti won 2-1.
IT WILL TAKE a job and a half for Jamaica to get past Haiti in the Caribbean zone Under-20 World Cup qualifier, given the manner in which they lost their home tie 1-2 in the first-leg at Harbour View Mini Stadium yesterday.
Kelly Jean Rood (12th) and Max Louis (36th) scored for the visiting Haitians, while Richard West netted within a minute of the half-time resumption to give Jamaica a glimmer of hope ahead of their September 29 return game in Port-Au-Prince.
"I'm extremely disappointed about the loss but there's some hope for us," said Jamaica's coach, Wendell Downswell. "We'll have to improve on our marking. I think we gave them too much room, especially in the first half."
He added: "It's not beyond us. Physically I think we're probably a little stronger than the Haitians."
Due to the fact that Haiti scored two away goals, Jamaica must win and score at least twice to advance to the next stage.
Haiti's coach, Harold Egma, expressed optimism ahead of the return game.
He said: "I expect to win. I expect to qualify for the next stage of the qualifiers in the United States. Today I see Jamaica. In Port-au-Prince it will be very hard but we can solve the problem.
"It was a good victory, away from your country. This is good for the team and for the country," added Egma.
Contrary to the ploy mainly used by visiting teams in football internationals, Haiti attacked Jamaica as if they were the home team and dominated the first half in a fashion truly reflected by the 2-0 scoreline.
They played at a fast pace, constantly pushing the ball into the spaces and moving purposefully to make good advances along the flanks deep into Jamaica's defensive area.
The lack of pace and the inability of the home team's defence to cope with the skill of the Haitians also made it a lot easier for the visitors to penetrate.
Had it not been for a goal disallowed at the 20th minute for offside, faulty finishing and otherwise excellent 'keeping by Jamaica's custodian Allien Whittaker, the margin could have been wider.
With regards to their offensive play, the youthful Jamaicans also created some good openings, especially in the second half when
France-based Keith Kelly and Sheldon Palmer joined the fray.
"When you look at the performance of Kelly (Keith), when he came in he stabilised the middle. The fact that he came in late last night (Saturday) we didn't start him. With him back in there, Sheldon Battiste will be back in the team and then we'll have Cleveland Taylor from England, so how we play tactically will make a big difference," Downswell said of the return contest.
Taylor, the Bolton Wanderers midfielder/forward whose father is Jamaican, did not play because his birth certificate never arrived on time.
Kelly and Palmer though significantly boosted their team's play by providing more support to the two players in the head, West and Craig Gordon who had been left largely to fend for themselves against at least four defenders for almost all 45 minutes of the first half.
During that period, instead of turning for goal the unsupported Jamaican forwards were forced most times to hold up the ball for team-mates who took too long to arrive, to the extent that sometimes they had to make back passes over 20-30 yards.
With the gap closed through the introduction of more offensive-minded and capable players, Jamaica were more competitive in the second half, played with more heart and nearly got an injury-time equaliser when West turned a cross from busy full-back Dane Richards on goal.
Haiti's custodian, Ronel St. Louis, had other ideas though and spread himself to turn the ball around the post. That corner-kick led to a series of five consecutive spot kicks but Haiti, defending with all 11, stuck to the task and held on to defend a scoreline which allowed them to greet the final whistle with a loud shout of "hooray".
It is a celebratory chant Downswell believe his team can shout in their upcoming clash.
"I won't say it's an impossible task," said Downswell. "We've to definitely go there with the intention of getting two goals".
