EVEN if the Reggae Boyz had won their final game of the Brazil 2014 campaign against Honduras at the National Stadium on Tuesday night, the feat would not be enough to mask their disappointment.

They would have won their first match of a failed campaign and before their home crowd, but it would have little meaning except for entertainment value. For the fact is, Jamaica’s elimination from the World Cup was formalised with their 0-2 defeat to the USA on Friday in Kansas City.

Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw brought the curtains down on the wretched campaign, but the trail of disappointment, one suspects, will linger.

“Overall it’s disappointing for everybody as we believe that we had the players that could help us qualify… it’s also very disappointing to see Honduras celebrating their qualification to the World Cup on our home ground, but what we have to take from this is that next time we have to fight harder and win all our home games,” said Je-Vaughn Watson of FC Dallas.

In reflection, the midfielder, who also started in the match against the USA on Friday in Kansas City, said the Boyz’s 0-0 draw with Mexico at the feared Azteca was a superb start, but noted that from there everything seemed to head down hill.

“I think we had a beautiful start with that draw against Mexico away, but we may have become complacent after that… we have to now look to the future and try to keep the core of guys we have now because making it to the World Cup is a wonderful experience,” said the former Sporting Central Academy standout.

Watson, 29, said he was satisfied with his overall performance in the games he played, but expressed concern that in two of those matches he was played out of position, which reduced his effectiveness.

“I played in about four games and in two of them I played out wide and in the others I played in the right position on the inside… I play inside for my club and I know what I can do when I play in there,” said the nippy midfielder.

Reading FC captain Jobi McAnuff, too, could not contain his letdown with the team’s failure to impact the qualifiers more positively.

“It’s really disappointing as when you look at the balance of play, none of the teams we came up against has really outplayed us except Honduras away, so from that point of view it was very disappointing.

On Tuesday night, McAnuff, 31, said the unfortunate first-minute goal by Honduras summed the entire campaign for Jamaica as there wasn’t a bit of luck for the Boyz.

“We had the worse possible start, but we responded and equalised… but in the whole campaign that was it for us whenever we needed a little luck we didn’t have it. But it’s a combination of things why we didn’t qualify, but I think it was a good fight in the end,” said the hard-running midfielder, who has figured prominently in the campaign since recalled.

Deshorn Brown, the 22-year-old Colorado Rapids striker, said he was delighted with the fight of the team, especially in the second half.

“This was our last World Cup qualifying match and we were just pushing ourselves to try to win the game so that the Jamaican fans can feel good, though we know we weren’t going to make it to the World Cup.

“We did make some mistakes which cost us two goals, but we were able to come back and score two goals,” said the former St Elizabeth Technical High student.