By Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter
Haitian defender Eddy Cesar makes a sliding tackle on Jamaica's Jermaine Johnson during the Gold Cup qualifying match at the National Stadium yesterday. Johnson scored once in Jamaica's 3-0 victory. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
JAMAICA, LAST night, secured a spot in the July Gold Cup with a 3-0 win over Haiti to finish top of the four-team Group A.
Martinique who came from 1-4 down in the second half to beat St Lucia 5-4 advanced to the playoffs where they will go up against Trinidad and Tobago and Honduras for the remaining Concacaf place.
Jermaine Johnson in the 15th, Omar Daley in the 58th and a defender in the 66th minute were responsible for Jamaica's handsome win. For Jamaica's technical director Carl Brown the win was a pleasing one.
"I believe that they did what they had to do today. They were very aggressive...they did not allow the Haitians to do any sort of ball playing and to get a victory here tonight I believe was well deserved," he said at the end of the game.
The victory was even more pleasing for Brown given that he had to field a different line-up forced upon him. The top three strikers chosen for the tournament were all unavailable. Kevin Lisbie, Brown said, had to return to England to deal with personal matters, Fabian Taylor picked up an injury in Friday's game while Deon Burton who was carrying a thigh strain returned to England without the knowledge of the coaching staff.
"He was a bit worried that it would affect him and he was not able to give of his best here tonight," said Brown explaining Burton's absence.
Pressed further, Brown admitted that Burton was not given permission to head home. "No, he did not get any permission. He left without permission," Brown said.
"He did indicate that he wanted to go home but the doctor had said that he would need another 24 hours to make a final decision and I told him that. He was actually at the house so I was surprised when I came this morning and he was gone," Brown continued about Burton.
The absence of the strike trio provided an opportunity for Bolton Wanderers midfielder Johnson to start and he made the most of the opportunity. He had a foot in all three of Jamaica's goals.
The lively player opened the scoring in the 15th minute when he collected a ball played out of deep by Theodore Whitmore, shook off two challengers before dancing his way from the left side of the 18-yard box towards the centre and fired home from a deflection.
Haiti almost hit back in the 20th minute when Chrismonor Thelusma struck the right upright with a freekick from about 22-yards.
While not looking the smoothest team, Jamaica continued to enjoy the better of the football under the urging of Whitmore who played one of his best games in many moons. Johnson was also a constant threat with his pace and dribbling ability while Andy Williams and Cornel Chin-Sue provided good support.
Jamaica could have gone two goals up in the 41st minute when a good sequence of ball movement started by Johnson and involving Williams and Chin-Sue ended with Chin-Sue's low strike being turned behind the goal for a corner.
In the second half, a more composed Haiti tried to play the ball around and attack Jamaica. Thelusma was their main threat while substitute Jean Rebert Menelas provided good support.
Any hope Haiti would have had of getting back into the game was killed off in the 58th minute by Daley with a lovely strike from outside the 18-yard box. Johnson made a run down the right flank and played the ball back to the top of the box for Daley to drive home one time for his third goal from his third game of the tournament.
The victory was completed in the 66th minute when a good sequence of passing between Roen Nelson and Johnson saw Johnson driving the ball into the body of the goalkeeper from inside the box. So powerful was Johnson's strike that the ball rebounded from his body onto one of his defenders and into the goal.
"We just qualified for the Gold Cup so the programme continues," Brown said of the importance of the victory as they depart today for a friendly in Venezuela. "We can now prepare our team for the July tournament in America. You could not have asked for anything better than that."
