Mexico's Giovani dos Santos (centre) falls as he is challenged by Jamaica's Demar Phillips (left) and Rodolph Austin during their World Cup 2014 qualifying match at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on Wednesday. - AP

Western Bureau

So the Reggae Boyz have done it, they went to the much-feared Azteca Stadium in Mexico, and not only came away with a point, but, with a little luck, could have joined the very exclusive list of teams that have beaten the Mexicans at that much-feared high-altitude venue.

While I must admit that I was not familiar with some of the players who were on show for Jamaica, I must make it absolutely clear that, regardless of where the player was born or where he now lives, once he is wearing the black, green and gold shirt and answering to the command of head coach Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore, he has my full support.

And, speaking of Whitmore, it is so nice to see that he has confounded his critics yet again, walking into the history books as the first Jamaica coach, inclusive of foreign coaches, to have taken a national team to the treacherous Azteca, the scene of so many embarrassing experiences for Jamaica, and escaped defeat.

I hope that with his latest accomplishment those who have been clamouring for his sacking will now climb off Whitmore's back and give him a chance to do his job. Surely, we should now realise that in terms of overall contribution to national football; Whitmore is without a doubt our most accomplished and is tied to arguably our four most-cherished accomplishments.

Bonus accomplishment

As a player, he was a member of the first Jamaican team to qualify for the World Cup and he had the bonus accomplishment of being the onlyJamaica-born player to score a goal at the World Cup. As a coach, he is the only local coach to have taken us to the last stage of a World Cup qualifier tournament and he has become the first national coach to secure a point at the Azteca.

Prior to the start of the 2014 World Cup campaign, I had a long talk with Whitmore in regards to his projections going forward. At the end of the conversation, he had me completely convinced that he could guide the Reggae Boyz to the World Cup. In fact, he made it clear that he would settle for nothing less.

Since the start of the campaign, I have had reasons to question the approach taken by Whitmore, especially in the away game against Guatemala, where we seemingly abandoned speed and aggression and adopted the timid, almost lazy, laid-back Brazilian style, which seemed so much out of character.

However, unlike most of Whitmore's critics, my concerns have never been about his team selection, because as far as I am concerned, I don't believe we have enough local-based players with the requisite qualities to match up favourably with teams like the United States and Mexico, especially when something as important as a World Cup place is at stake.

Constant badgering

I hope that after the disappointment of the last Caribbean Cup tournament, where Whitmore threw the local players his critics were clamouring for into the mix and was basically embarrassed, the constant badgering he has been undergoing will now cease, allowing him to do his job free of harassment.

While it might be true that a point against Mexico is no guarantee that we will play well in the other upcoming games, I believe, based on what I saw against Mexico, that given the right support, this team has a very good chance of making it to Brazil 2014. In fact, I must admit that I am feeling quite comfortable in my seat on the wagon and I am in for the long haul.

From a personal perspective, while the big picture is really about Jamaica, I also have some selfish reasons why I want this Jamaican team to qualify for the World Cup. As I have said in previous columns, nothing could please me more than to see Whitmore achieving the enviable feat of becoming the first Jamaican to qualify for the World Cup as player and coach.

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