SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras — Jamaica’s Under-17s are one step closer to realising their dream of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup after safely navigating their way to a play-off spot following their crushing 5-1 win over Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday.

The young Reggae Boyz have consolidated third spot on seven points behind Group A leader the USA on 10 points and host Honduras with eight points. Guatemala are in fourth on four points, but even if they defeat Honduras in their last game and Jamaica lose to the Americans on Wednesday, Jamaica will still advance based on the first tie-breaker rule which is head-to-head then goal difference.

Jamaica, having defeated Guatemala, are therefore safe. A relieved head coach Andrew Edwards, who stayed back at the stadium and cheered for both Guatemala and Cuba to defend well, resulting in a tame 0-0 draw. Then the USA and Honduras battled to a 2- 2 draw. Both results were in Jamaica’s favour. “We are now one step closer to realising our dream of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in Chile.

We have guaranteed ourselves a playoff spot even before the final game of the round and it gives us the opportunity to determine how we want to approach that game,” said Edwards. But not only are Jamaica through to the play-offs, they also have a glorious chance of earning that one automatic World Cup qualifying berth, if they can top the group by beating the USA and Honduras fail to beat Guatemala tomorrow.

Said Edwards:“Obviously, we still have a mathematical chance of winning the group and getting the direct spot, so that also has to be a part of the consideration.” Having lost their first encounter 0-2 to hosts Honduras, Jamaica rebounded with a nervy 2-1 win over Guatemala before missing a third-minute penalty and had to come from behind for a 1-1 draw with Cuba. Sunday’s 5-1 whipping of fierce rivals Trinidad and Tobago guaranteed a topthree play-off spot.

“What we want to do is really soak up this moment and enjoy it. We have an extended stay here in Honduras that will take us through to next week Monday and between then we have two games,” noted Edwards.

“So it’s 180 minutes that is standing in the way between us and Chile right now and we want to cover every single detail, turn over every stone, dot every ‘I’, cross every ‘T’ to ensure that we do everything that is humanly possible in our means to get the results that is desired,” he continued.

The young Reggae Boyz secured their second win of the campaign courtesy of goal by Peter Vassell (39th), Nathaniel Adamolekun (45+3), Tajea Brown (80th, 85th) and Donovan Dawkins (90th). US-based Adamolekun of Orlando City academy has scored three of Jamaica’s eight goals so far from four games. Both Dawkins and Brown have scored two goals apiece.

“The scoreline was not surprising at all. I thought we were handsomely rewarded for the kind of work that we put in in the last couple of days between matches, because we realised that we needed to score goals,” Edwards noted.

“What worked well for us today (Sunday) was that we were much more composed in front of goal, we made better decisions, we were less selfish and we worked to a tactical plan to aplomb,” he added.

“We wanted to draw Trinidad out, get them to come up the park and press us and once they started doing that and we started playing the ball in behind the defenders and get those foot races going on, it was always going to be in our best favour.

I am just happy that the execution in front of goal today was efficient,” Edwards lauded. Jamaica has qualified two teams to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup — 1999 in New Zealand and Mexico in 2011.