Sport

'World Cup exit still hurts'

LONDON, CMC:

JAMAICAN INTERNATIONAL RICARDO Fuller has described the Reggae Boyz' elimination from the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament as a huge disappointment.

The 24-year forward said the team, comprising a number of England-based professionals, drew 1-1 with the United States last November to effectively end their bid to reach Germany 2006.

"It's very disappointing because we had high hopes and great expectations and we never really deserved to be out because we played well," Fuller said recently.

"We only lost one game, but we probably drew too many. We had a bad result at home where we lost 2-1 to Panama; that was the low point. Then we went to Panama; we should've beaten them and drew 1-1. Those are the results that killed us."

Fuller, who signed for Premiership side Portsmouth from Preston North End in August, said that the Reggae Boyz had not played badly but lacked the special edge that was necessary in order to reach the final round of the competition.

Special edge

"It's a big, big disappointment. We never really played badly; we just didn' t have that extra something to get to the next stage," Fuller explained.

"Now we've just got to concentrate on the future and hopefully we don't make the same mistake twice."

The Reggae Boyz became the first English-speaking Caribbean team to reach a World Cup final when they achieved the feat in France,1998, and were hoping to mirror that performance for next year's event.

Now Fuller says he hopes the disappointment of not reaching Germany would not hinder the progress of the sport in Jamaica.

"Since 1998, football in Jamaica has grown organisation wise, but it is a small country; there's only £2.5 million people on the island, so to achieve what we have so far is incredible. Hopefully we can keep it going and not let the disappointment stop us."