By Ainsley Walters, Staff ReporterCOACH CARL Brown last night admitted his team took a "step down in class" after watching the Reggae Boyz leisurely stroll past an El Salvador line-up 3-0 at the National Stadium.
In a lopsided contest billed as an international friendly, Ricardo Fuller opened the scoring after six minutes. Kevin Lisbie (72nd) and Deon Burton (86th) added second-half goals against the Central Americans, who fielded an entirely different and weaker squad from that which advanced to this summer's Gold Cup quarter-finals in the United States.
"We did what we had to do today," Brown said after the one-sided affair against a team which barely took three shots at goal all night.
"A 3-0 margin was what we were looking for, hoping we would finish the year with a good result. We came down in class after taking on the number one team in the world," he added, referring to the Boyz's 0-1 loss against Brazil in London.
Brown, who said he knew nothing about the calibre team his side would have faced, but had expected "technically sound players out of Central America", shrugged off the mismatch, saying Jamaica have six months to face tougher opposition before the real deal starts in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
"We've six months to go," he said. "Of course, we'll be looking for more games against tougher opposition."
Ian Goodison, returning from injury and playing his first international for Jamaica in many moons, started the play which led to the Boyz's opening goal.
The big central defender booted a long ball upfield which Micah Hyde headed on and over the 'keeper for Fuller to shrug off his lone marker and boot into goal.
Most fans saw that goal but more than a few might have missed the last two because patrons had already started filing out of the bleachers section when Gardner fired in a cross from the left flank for unmarked Lisbie to cork in a goal from the far post. The torrid shot deflected off both uprights before ricocheting into goal.
JEERED
Burton, jeered when coming on as a substitute for Fuller, perfectly trapped another Gardner cross, beating the 'keeper in the air before calmly slotting past the lone defender he faced in front goal four minutes from time.
The Salvadoreans were outmanned in midfield and hardly ever went down the flanks, giving the Boyz very little to do. It was 'Showtime at The Apollo' for the likes of Jermaine Johnson, Gardner and captain Theodore Whitmore, slicing and dicing past befuddled opponents.
"The team played very composed," Brown remarked, even though they were never pressed.
Jamaica: Donovan Ricketts (Aaron Lawrence 46th), Ian Goodison, Fabian Davis (Gerald Neil 70th), Micah Hyde, Ricardo Fuller (Deon Burton 64th), Claude Davis, Kevin Lisbie (Fabian Taylor 74th) Jamie Lawrence (Richard Langley 64th), Theodore Whitmore (Shane Crawford 74th), Ricardo Gardner, Jermaine Johnson (Jermaine Hue 51st).
