Veteran Reggae Boy Adrian Mariappa is pleased with the performance and end result of Jamaica’s 2-1 victory over Honduras as they pulled the curtains on another failed FIFA World Cup campaign inside Kingston’s National Stadium on Wednesday night.
Angel Tejeda gave the visitors a 1-0 lead on 18 minutes, only for Leon Bailey to hit a second international goal for Jamaica with the equaliser on 39 minutes, and Ravel Morrison to break the international drought for Jamaica in time added in the first half.
The 35-year-old Adrian Mariappa, who now plays in Australia, filled in at the unfamiliar position of right wingback for three-quarters of the game before a late tactical switch returned him to his usual position of centre back.
He was pleased with the victory to close out the campaign to give the supporters something to cheer about.
“It’s good to get a win, thought the boys played well and I’m happy for the boys who scored as well, especially Rav [Ravel Morrison]. I know he’s wanted to score for a while and you could see how delighted all the boys were for him as well, so it’s good to finish the campaign with a win and just to grow from there,” he said.
And as it relates to his ever willing selflessness to help the team in whatever capacity he’s called on to perform, Mariappa, sought to explain.
“Things happened within the camp and Javain Brown couldn’t play today, so when asked to fill in… the manager could put me in goal and I would still give my everything to do that and try and play the position as well I can… Obviously, I’m a centre back, that’s my best position, so moving back into that position later on in the game which is natural for me [was good].”
In other games on Wednesday night, Canada lost 1-0 to Panama, the US went down 2-0 to Costa Rica and Mexico defeated El Salvador 2-0.
The final standing in the eight-nation points table saw Canada ending with 28 points, the same as Mexico, with the US and Costa Rica ending with 25 points. Panama finished with 21, Jamaica with 11, El Salvador with 10 and Honduras with four.
Canada, Mexico and the US gained automatic berths to Qatar for November’s FIFA World Cup Finals, while Costa Rica earned the right to enter an intercontinental play-off with a team from Oceania.
Honduras were quickly out of the blocks and created the first opportunity within five minutes when Kevin Lopez shot across the face of Andre Blake’s goal from close range.
The local side response was immediate if not clinical.
Bailey stole possession midway through Honduras’s half just right of center field and he raced goalward before crossing to Daniel Green, who muffed the chance with a tame effort on goal from close inside the penalty box.
Shortly afterwards Damion Lowe picked out Green in behind the Honduras defense on the left side, but the Mount Pleasant Football Academy’s frontman’s left-footer sailed straight into the welcoming arms of Luis Lopez.
But just when the Reggae Boyz appeared to be gaining the upper hand, they went behind when Mariappa was called for handball during a corner kick.
Referee Keylow Herrera waved play on but was invited to take another look at the incident via the video assistant referee (VAR), to which he concurred, and Tejeda made no mistake to put his side ahead.
But from a free-kick, later on, Herrera called a foul on a Jamaican player inside the penalty box and Bailey drove home a powerful shot to the left of Lopez to pull the teams level.
As the game entered time added in the first half, Bailey’s right-sided corner was partially cleared at the near post and the ball fell kindly to Morrison, who swivelled just beyond the penalty spot to power a right footer which took a wicked deflection to beat Lopez for the second time within a few minutes.
Honduras, who went winless throughout the 14-game final round, threw everything in attack in the second half but Jamaica stood up well to thwart the Central Americans, even when referee Herrera had brandished a red card for Green on 61 minutes during an aerial challenge, only for VAR to invite him to rescind his initial call and downgrade it to a caution.
Interim head coach Paul Hall has been strident in his belief rebuild the team for the long term, but Adrian Mariappa still harbours ambition to represent the black, green and gold colors of Jamaica, once he continues to possess the standards required.
“I just enjoy putting on the colors and just repping every time…” he said.
“I’m just going back to my club, got some big games coming up, and just take it from there. As long as I feel good and in good condition, feel that I’m still at the level to play then I’ll continue playing,” he ended.
