Whitmore ... interim coach. - File

Jamaica won the battle, but lost the war. Despite a deserved 3-0 win against Canada, the Reggae Boyz were eliminated from World Cup 2010. Here's how the Boyz did on a bittersweet Wednesday night at The Office:

GOALKEEPER: Donovan Ricketts was not troubled often, but when he was, the keeper came up with fantastic saves. Ricketts went full stretch, low to his left, to thwart Charles Gbeke's header and Canada's equaliser. A few minutes later, he spectacularly turned away Kevin Harmse's looping volley. Both saves were as good as they were timely. Grade B-plus.

DEFENCE: This unit remained solid in its primary task much of the game. The hard-running, strong Gbeke proved a handful, but Tyrone Marshall was again efficient as sweeper and Ian Goodison and Claude Davis missed only a few marking assignments, most notably on the striker's header. However, the overall passing out of the back was not good, which contributed to Jamaica's lack of consistent rhythm throughout. Still, Goodison's surging run and cross earned Jamaica a third goal. Retirement and club commitments may dismantle this unit shortly, but when it mattered in the final stages of Jamaica's campaign - no goals allowed against Mexico, Honduras and Canada - it stood up to be counted. Grade B.

MIDFIELD: This unit struggled to stamp a decent ball possession presence on the centre of the pitch. Rodolph Austin is a talented player, with assets such as high work rate, powerful shot - one free kick crashed on to the crossbar - and stout-hearted application. But he struggles to fit as a true central whose job is to dictate the rhythm of the team's passing game. Far too many went astray. Captain Ricardo Gardner put in a decent shift, but Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Demar Phillips on the flanks could not match their showing in earlier games and left their forwards without consistent, quality crosses. Jermaine Johnson joined in late, but was not particularly effective. Despite a wonderful pass by Phillips to spring Luton Shelton for Jamaica's first goal, when Jamaica needed poise, creativity and incisiveness to break Canada completely, this unit struggled. Grade C.

FORWARDS: The newly minted three-pronged attack of Ricardo Fuller, Marlon King and Shelton, sputtered early. The role of each appeared to lack cohesion with the others. But the overall service from midfield was not special either and they all suffered. Shelton took his chance well and King stroked home a penalty. But Fuller never really got going. By the time King appeared to be settling down, he was substituted. Omar Cummings and Dane Richards were second half subs. The busy Cummings scored, but Richards, whose pace is far more effective on the flanks, was surprisingly deployed in the middle. Yet Jamaica generated three goals up front, an unusual but productive show. Grade B-plus.

COACHING: Theodore Whitmore took charge with Jamaica's World Cup hopes on life support - one point from a possible nine. Tappa picked the best players and they rallied with discipline and determination. The team won three in a row. Against Canada, maybe King could have stayed on longer, sacrificing Campbell-Ryce or Phillips for Richards on the flanks. But no one could have realistically expected Jamaica to beat Canada by six or seven goals. In the end, Jamaica fell short. No one can blame the coach. Grade A.

Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.