SAN JOSE, California — Jamaica’s Head Coach Theodore Whitmore, while accepting well-deserved commendations for his team’s surprise second-place finish at the just-concluded CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, is now ready to chart a long-term course to make the Reggae Boyz an even more competitive bunch.

Whitmore, whose latest contract with the Jamaica Football Federation ended last night, has received the backing of interim president Bruce Gaynor, but getting the gig full-time has to be approved by the board.

The Reggae Boyz will next be in action on September 2 in a friendly international against Canada in Toronto, and should he be reappointed as is expected, then he would like regular games and training camps to better prepare local players for international football.

“What we want to do is look at a long-term plan,” Whitmore told the media after his team lost 1-2 to the USA in the Gold Cup final inside Levi’s Stadium on Wednesday night.

“This Gold Cup only can be a platform for us to move on and to build on, so what I’m basically looking at is a long-term plan to keep the team in regular training and to get practice games. I think this Gold Cup would have given us mileage in terms of getting quality practice games that we can expose our local players to international football,” added Whitmore, whose Gold Cup record stands at seven wins, four losses and two draws over three tournaments.

Striker Jozy Altidore struck a beautiful free-kick from 28 yards which beat the flailing arms of substitute goalkeeper Dwayne Miller to give his team the lead on the stroke of half time.

However, Je-Vaughn Watson struck back five minutes after the interval after slamming home at the back post from a Kemar Lawrence right-sided corner.

But the superior Americans found the all-important goal on 89 minutes when Jordan Morris powered home from just inside the penalty area after the ball bubbled past Clint Dempsey.

But Jamaica lost their inspirational goalkeeper and captain Andre Blake after he foiled the Americans with another brilliant double save. First he denied Altidore from distance, then received laceration between the web of his fingers on his right hand after he was caught by the cleats of Darlington Nagbe’s boot on the follow up, as he tried to smother the shot.

Luckily he received no broken bones, but his tournament ended as he received seven stitches. However, he later won the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

Whitmore was happy overall with the accomplishment of his team, but having reached that far, he was disappointed with the outcome.

“A bittersweet tournament, it’s only what happened in the end, but we just have to give the Father thanks. It was a great tournament for us, great experience, the players showed commitment, they showed heart, they were disciplined and only unfortunate not to walk away with the Gold Cup today (Wednesday), but I laud the performance of the team, technical staff and everyone involved,” he said.

And without trying to find excuses for the loss, Whitmore admitted that fatigue could have played a part, even though he used all but three players from his 23-man roster.

“The overall performance of the team today you could see a bit of fatigue… what didn’t work for us is the fact that the US had more rest time, and not that we are finding any excuses, but the US brought in six fresh legs (including senior players like Michael Bradley, who won the Golden Ball and the tournament’s best player despite competing in only three games, Altidore, Dempsey among others) and we were really at a disadvantage because after 70, 75 minutes players started to get cramps and that is why I took out Ladale Richie, and he was on a yellow card as well, so overall great performance.”

And on conceding on the stroke of half time, Whitmore thought it was a momentary lapse in concentration.

“I think we lacked concentration where that is concerned because up to that time we had Bradley where we wanted him and the one time he went deep that’s where Romario Williams got a foul and the goal… I must congratulate them on their performance, but I’m proud of my players and staff,” he reiterated.