Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Head coach Carl Brown addresses the media upon the Jamaica football team's return to the island yesterday after its 1-0 loss to Canada in Montreal on Monday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

JAMAICA'S NATIONAL football coach, Carl Brown, has expressed satisfaction with the team's performance in its 1-0 loss to Canada on Monday in Montreal. Brown, speaking upon the team's arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday, said: "The team performed well although we started out very slowly and played in patches in the first half. "I think we played well in the second half and one must remember that this team is also under a lot of pressure to perform," he said.

Goalkeper's error

"But the good thing about it is that our goalkeeper, Shawn Sawyers, recognised very early that the blame (for the conceded goal) had to be his; but it is all part of the process and he is only going to learn from games like this."

Brown also believes this team can go from strength to strength based on how it played in the second half.

"The team showed a lot of courage in the second period. We stood up and fought. We had two tall players in the middle in Khari Stephenson and Oneil Thompson and they were very effective in keeping the Canadians out after they looked threatening in the first half," he said.

Played better passing game

"We really settled down in the second half and played a better passing game ... this is one of the things we have to learn at this level that - we have to keep the ball whenever we have possession and try to finish all the attacks."

Brown said there was still a lot of work to be done before the start of the Digicel Caribbean Cup, in which Jamaica will be hosting a leg later this month, but believes the players will now be better prepared for it.

"With the National Premier League starting this Sunday, I think that a lot of the players will be match-ready. This was one the biggest problems we had out there against the Canadians - a couple of the players had not been playing any competitive football and that showed in the early part of the game."