Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor

IT IS rather ironic that Jamaica's Reggae Boyz must finish this leg of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying in the same way they started - with a bag of goals - to ensure safe passage into the Final phase of a journey Back to Africa. When they kicked off their campaign in the second round - having got a bye past the first - Luton Shelton and Deon Burton led the way as the Boyz rained down 13 unanswered goals on The Bahamas, thrashing the minnows 7-0 at The Office; then 6-0 at the multi-purpose stadium in Trelawny.

In a match where captain Ricardo Gardner opened the scoring at the 17th minute, five players graced the scoresheet, with Shelton (51st, 66th) netting a second-half double. Demar Phillips (23rd) and Marlon King (34th) scored the other goals which had secured a first-half 3-0 lead, while Andy Williams (75th) and Omar Daley (89th) also struck in the hammering.

No second chance

During this game, King was substituted at the 68th minute for Deon Burton. The former, unquestionably Jamaica's most natural striker, showed open dissent to the move and was never afforded another opportunity by René Simoes, the Brazilian technical director who was running the team.

Disappointment for some means opportunities for others. The Bahamas' stadium was deemed unfit for FIFA-level matches so what should have been their home leg, the return encounter, ended up being an another away clash in Jamaica. The multi-purpose stadium in Trelawny that was built for Cricket World Cup's opening ceremony in 2007, was used for the return tie, putting international football back in western Jamaica following a hiatus spanning well beyond a decade.

In front of a crowd full of expectations, the Boyz did not disappoint, even though they took 29 minutes to break the goal drought. Burton burst open the floodgates and by half-time, Shelton helped himself to a hat-trick (35th, 38th, 43rd) and Tyrone Marshall (40th) joined the goal party to make it 5-0.

Burton got his second goal at the 56th, the only second-half strike.

Commanding performance

Richard Langley, out of the national set-up for years, returned with a commanding performance but not even that could inspire the coach to give him another chance.

Likewise, many of the country's top players, professionals engaged in leagues across Europe and the United States, were ignored by Simoes, even in the face of numerous queries from the media, populace and promptings from his employers who occupy the hierarchy of the sport's ruling body here, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).

Instead, he displayed unproven faith with untried, local, young amateurs who, truth be told, were thrust into an unfair position which, hopefully, won't harm the real worth they may bring to Jamaica's football in the future.

No fault of theirs, but some serious damage was being done to the country's chances, fuelled nonetheless by a 1-1 draw in Toronto against a high-profile squad of professionals summoned by Canada. Midfielder Andy Williams scored with a freakish corner in the 52nd minute after Julian deGuzman had given the hosts the lead in the 47th.

Strengthened belief

It was probably the worst thing that could have happened, as it appeared to strengthen Simoes' belief that his young Turks were up for the task.

In the next match, at The Azteca, it swiftly became clear they were mere lambs to the slaughter because, while Jamaica attained their second best result (3-0) at the high-altitude killing field where they had lost on all seven previous occasions, they were outclassed in a way no other Jamaican team had been.

"Even when we got 6-0, we played far better," said Simoes.

Andres Guardado set the panic buttons flying with a second-minute goal from a direct free kick and Jamaica never recovered. Fernando Arce thundered home a second at the 22nd and defender Jonny Magallon rocketed a volley from a corner kick to close out the scoring at the 62nd.

'Blame me', screamed the headlines reflecting the sentiments of Simoes, for the team flying into Mexico barely a day ahead of the match. Jamaicans, though, had long been singing those sentiments, but for other reasons, his selections.

Crucial matchup

They flew across the border and played Honduras four days later, losing a most crucial matchup 2-0 off goals from Ramon Nunez (59th) and Amado Guevara (penalty 71st).

Jamaica began with a radical 6-3-1 formation, but were forced to change personnel at the half when Jermaine Taylor picked up a nasty gash under his eye and the score read 0-0. There was not a central defender on the bench to replace him and the game changed significantly in the second half.

The following morning in the airport hall, JFF president Captain Horace Burrell quickly summoned the players and coaching staff, minus Simoes, outside the boarding gate while the flight was being boarded. Then he held a swift meeting with the press.

"At 0100 hours I summoned technical director René Simoes to my room … where I fired him. I fired him, I fired my friend," Burrell announced.

Burrell had brought Simoes to Jamaica as technical director for the 1998 World Cup when the country historically qualified for its first World Cup Finals appearance in France. He had brought him back at the start of this year for a tenure that, sadly, will overshadow all the glory of his past campaign because this time he never gave the country its best chance as he left its best players off the squad, proven by the results the side achieved in return matches against Mexico and Honduras.

Called up ignored players

Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore, the 1998 World Cup double-scoring hero in Jamaica's only win - 2-1 over Japan, was installed interim head coach and called up almost all the players who were previously ignored.

Ricardo Fuller hit a shot that took a deflection on Mexico's captain, Rafael Marquez, at the 16th minute, for the game's only goal at The Office. Jamaica matched the Mexicans, whom they played aggressively from the opening whistle, as they gave an impressive display to rekindle their hopes by moving to four points.

Four days later, the Boyz were back to business at The Office against Honduras, and Luton Shelton, around the 16th-minute mark, again, scored the game's only goal when he rounded the goalkeeper, then slipped a shot that crawled into the far post behind a sliding Honduran defender who had anticipated a near-post finish.

Honduras stayed at nine points, Mexico drew away in Canada to move to 10 and Jamaica launched up to seven.

When they return to The Office on Wednesday to face Canada in the last semi-final round fixture, the same evening when Mexico face Honduras in Honduras, the Boyz will need to win by the same margin they secured in the opening match of the 2010 Back to Africa campaign - 7-0 over The Bahamas - to be certain of having a superior goal difference if points are tied to move on to the CONCACAF Finals that will ultimately advance teams to South Africa.