ATTACK, attack, attack… or rather the lack of it, was the bane of the Reggae Boyz during Tuesday’s 0-1 defeat to CONCACAF rivals Mexico, according to noted local club coach Nigel Stewart.

Cellar team Jamaica, on two points from four matches, have scored only once in this final phase of CONCACAF Qualifiers.

Stewart’s comment on the matter was short and direct.

“Right now Jamaica has a goal-scoring problem!” he exclaimed.

While a defensive breakdown allowed Aldo De Nigris to nod home Mexico’s second-half winner in the World Cup qualifying match at the National Stadium, Stewart threw the spotlight on the home team’s “terrible” attacking performance.

“I think we were as terrible in attack as we were in defence. We played 90-odd minutes of football and we possessed the ball somewhat, but I don’t know what went wrong in terms of shooting (the ball at goal). There was no one who took responsibility to shoot,” he bemoaned.

The former spearhead of the Sporting Central Academy FC technical staff said while forward Ryan Johnson worked tirelessly in a 4-5-1 formation employed by head coach Theodore Whitmore, the powerful player was too often left isolated in attack.

Stewart also felt that midfield maestro Jermaine Hue, who was given a playmaking role behind the central striker, was “too defensive”.

“Johnson held up the ball well, but the help didn’t reach him quickly enough. I thought Jermaine Hue was playing a bit too defensively… I wanted him higher up the pitch. Too many times he got the ball to make passes within 10 yards of the halfway line. He had more tackling on his mind than playing freely.

“I’m not saying the 4-5-1 was all that bad a formation, but for me, we are at home and needed to win, so I would use two forwards from the outset. We knew Mexico had to come at us, but we needed to win. I thought we should have been more offensive, so we shouldn’t just go with one forward,” he said.

Stewart said that though the CONCACAF giants are good opponents, they were there for the taking. He reasoned that Jamaica’s cagey approach in attack gave the visitors added confidence.

“I would give them (the Mexicans) credit, yes. Mexico is a quality team… they are a good team, so don’t get me wrong. But I don’t think they are that much of a powerhouse as they used to be. After the first half, seeing that we weren’t hurting them, they came out and played their natural game. They were as much as tentative as us in the first half,” Stewart said.

He added that the Reggae Boyz’s start to the encounter belied what was to come and shared that he believes the team “relaxed” and lost its shape in the second stanza.

“There isn’t much to say about us doing well last (Tuesday) night. I think they (Jamaica) started out playing not bad, to me. They looked organised at first, but I think that they are not cohesive (and) they are not gelling together as yet.

“They were supporting each other, they were passing the ball around. I’m not sure if it was early in the game why it looked that way. They started out playing like they have been together for a long time, but as the game went on all of that broke down.

“In the second half we just relaxed. In the first half we never did badly, so we just relaxed and came out with a different frame of mind. Everybody was all over the place (in the) second half,” he said.

Meanwhile, the coach, who won the Under-21 title with Sporting Central two seasons ago, said he was also let down by the Jamaican defensive unit, which was lacking a few key players due to injury.

The resultant changes meant that the previously untried and the evidently unfamiliar back four of O’brian Woodbine, teenager Alvas Powell, Daniel Gordon and Adrian Mariappa were thrown in at the deep end. On several occasions their positioning was found wanting.

“I don’t think we were talking a lot in the game in terms of shouting or picking up (opposing players) there or whatever. I think the two youngsters, Woodbine and Alvas Powell, I don’t think they did badly… (but) having two inexperienced wingbacks at all times, we should have ensured they were where they were supposed to be.

“Other older players are seeing the game and saw that Alvas was caught out a couple of times. Everybody is supposed to know by now that Mexico is a team that uses width. We also see where we outnumbered the opponents in the (defensive 18-yard) box and yet they came out with a goal,” he lamented.

According to Stewart, Whitmore and company should have gone with more experienced wingbacks instead of Woodbine and Powell.

“I think they (the coaching staff) should have gone for two more experienced people — I don’t know where they are — knowing that Mexico like to come down both flanks. Playing the two youngsters at this critical time, I don’t think it was wise,” he said.