SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Despite the Reggae Boyz squandering chance after chance before the 1-1 result against Costa Rica on Wednesday, Head Coach Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore had a number of reasons to be pleased.

First and foremost, the Jamaicans finally got off the mark in the 2022 World Cup final stage qualifying after previously losing 1-2 away to Mexico and 0-3 on home soil to Panama.

But also significant for the coach was the way his team rebounded after the 0-3 debacle in Kingston, which exposed a unit devoid of organisation and team chemistry.

The players’ confidence would have also taken a further blow when they gave up an early goal against the Costa Ricans. But they dug deep in the second half and, in the end, were left feeling the game was there for the taking.

Notably, the squad that featured against Mexico was almost identical to the one that travelled to Costa Rica. In the meantime, the largely British-based contingent that took the field in Kingston was barred by their clubs from making the trip to red-listed Mexico and Costa Rica due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I must congratulate the Boyz because they showed a lot of effort and they showed a lot of character this evening against Costa Rica,” Whitmore told the Jamaica Observer during a post-match interview at the team hotel in San Jose.

“It’s the nature of the game but after we conceded the players didn’t drop their heads, they kept fighting to get it right,” he said.

“I think it was a good result for us. I think we deserved all three points, but it’s a start after disappointing results in the last two games, so I hope we can build on this,” the former Regage Boyz midfielder added.

Despite gaining the point in Costa Rica, the Boyz are rooted at the base of the Concacaf octagonal qualifying stage. Costa Rica have two points, while Mexico, who drew 1-1 in Panama on Wednesday, lead with seven. The Mexicans are closely followed by Canada (five points), United States (five), and Panama (five), while Honduras and El Salvador are on two points each.

At the National Stadium in San Jose, the home side got off to a flyer in rainy conditions when veteran playmaker Bryan Ruiz and Jonathan Moya combined to leave Jimmy Marin to stoop and head into the goal in the third minute.

The manner in which the Boyz’s defence was caught flat-footed must have been a cause for serious concern in the Jamaican camp.

And though the visitors gradually improved their overall play in the opening 45 minutes, the Costa Ricans did enough to warrant the first half advantage.

It was a whole different ball game in the second half, highlighted by Shamar Nicholson’s 47th-minute equaliser.

The Costa Rican defence was pulled apart when Tyreek Magee, who had a number of bad touches and misplaced passes up until then, turned his marker sweetly and drove into the opponents’ half before feeding the ball out left to Kemar Lawrence.

The left-back’s inch-perfect cross found Nicholson, and though he mistimed his jump, the ball lobbed from a combination of his cheek and shoulder to wrong-footed Keylor Navas in goal.

Both teams created chances thereafter, but Jamaica had the most glaring ones, with Nicholson and Junior Flemmings chief among the culprits.

Whitmore, who starred for Jamaica at the 1998 World Cup, said a half-time talk centred on a more proactive approach against Costa Rica did the trick.

“At the interval I spoke with the team and it made a big difference. I thought we needed to play with more belief, with more urgency and I think we did just that.

“We went out there and we scored, and I think we were in control for most of the second half. We showed a lot of composure and patience in our build-up play, but I think some of our play could have been a bit more precise,” he told the Observer.

Reflecting on the three games thus far, the Reggae Boyz boss noted that finding the right mix of players to form an organised and cohesive force will be essential.

“From the Gold Cup [in the summer] to the last three games in the World Cup qualifiers we would have seen a number of players, so it’s for us to select a squad that can get the job done going forward. We’ve seen players leading up to this game, so it’s for us to get the right balance going forward,” Whitmore explained.

Jamaica’s next game is away to the United States during the next international window in October.

The Concacaf final round of qualifying comprises eight teams playing in a round robin, home and away format.

The top three teams in the table will progress automatically to the 2022 World Cup, with the fourth-place finisher heading to an intercontinental play-off for one more spot in Qatar.

Teams:

Costa Rica — Keylor Navas, Ricardo Blanco, Oscar Duarte, Francisco Calvo (Kendall Waston 90+1), Bryan Oviedo, Celso Borges (David Guzman 82nd), Jefferson Brenes (Ronald Mataritta 82nd), Jimmy Marin (Randall Leal 75th), Bryan Ruiz, Joel Campbell, Jonathan Moya

Subs not used: Leonel Morreira, Aaron Cruz, Juan Pablo Vargas, Keysher Fuller, Jose Mora, Jurgens Montenegro, Jewison Bennett, Kenneth Vargas

Booked: Ruiz (90th)

Jamaica — Andre Blake, Alvas Powell, Damion Lowe, Adrian Mariappa, Kemar Lawrence, Anthony Grant (Je-Vaughn Watson 84th), Devon Williams, Tyreek Magee (Lamar Walker, 84th), Cory Burke (Javon East, 69th), Shamar Nicholson (Romario Williams, 90+1), Junior Flemmings (Blair Turgot,t 69th)

Subs not used: Dillon Barnes, Dennis Taylor, Peter Vassell, Ricardo Morris, Javain Brown, Norman Campbell, Oniel Fisher

Booked: Burke (45+1), Lowe (83rd)

Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)

Assistant referees: Keytzel Corrales (Nicaragua), Iroots Appleton (Antigua & Barbuda)

Fourth official: David Gantar (Canada)

Match commissary: Orlando Conguta