Jermaine Lannaman, Star Writer

Coach of the Reggae Boyz, Theodore Whitmore, says while he was not pleased with the result of the team's recent international against China, he was pleased with the overall performance of the team, and believes it augurs well for the future.

The game, which was played on Wednesday, saw the FIFA 44th-ranked Jamaica going down 1-0 to the Chinese, who are ranked 73rd in the world.

"The result is not what we would have wanted, but given the circumstances of very late player arrivals and the monsoon weather conditions that affected the match, and our performance, I thought the players in general gave a good account of themselves," said Whitmore.

The game, which was Jamaica's first since their quarter-final finish at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, saw the team surrendering a goal in the ninth minute, to which they failed to find a response.

not the strongest

The team, however, was not the strongest possible, as due to varying reasons, including player unavailability and injuries, a number of established and emerging players such as Donovan Ricketts, Dane Richards, Demar Phillips, and Keammar Daley did not participate.

This provided an opportunity for a number of local-based players, including debutante Harbour View striker Montrose Phinn, Waterhouse's Keneil Moodie, and Boys' Town's Xavian Virgo to show their worth and, according to Whitmore, they did.

"A lot of local players got the chance to display themselves, and for that we the coaching staff are happy," he said.

"Phinn made his debut and was pleasing, while both Virgo and Moodie held their own.

"I now look forward to the next set of friendly internationals where these players, plus those who did not participate, can come together as we continue to build in preparation for next year's World Cup qualifiers," he added.

Meanwhile, Harbour View's Richard Edwards, another of the local-based players, who participated in the match, said despite the trying conditions, Jamaica could have won the match.

rankings

"Rankings are just rankings. Yes, football teams around the world, in general, are catching up, but on a different day and under different conditions, we could have beaten them," said Edwards.

The next FIFA international date in early September, and according to Jamaica Football Federation general secretary Horace Reid, the federation is looking to stage a home fixture.