The Real Pirates Of The Caribbean.

Football is rather large already is a fair statement. However, there is one region which is notably getting better and has some very good players who still seem to be ignored. Not only just the Caribbean region but Jamaica in general.


Jamaica being the highest ranked team in the Caribbean ranked at 43 are an exciting prospect for all of football. Much like African teams Jamaica plays a free-flowing football with flair and a smile on their face but always means business. The most-recent team to make the World Cup Finals is Trinidad & Tobago in the 2006 World Cup. However, they have seemingly gone missing sliding down the rankings to 91st.

Dane Richards Scores For NY Red Bulls.

Some great players have come from the Caribbean in past times such as Dwight Yorke, Shaka Hislop, Robbie Earle, Luton Shelton, Ricardo Gardner, Ricardo Fuller, Dane Richards and Donovan Ricketts. With most Jamaican players, these days applying their trade in the MLS it's clear to see the talent pool in the Caribbean is there much like in Africa, and I feel once a club goes gold-mining in the Caribbean, they could emerge a very happy club.


Another problem is the quality and the number of games Jamaica play. Yes, they feature in the Gold Cup, and they play in the Caribbean Championship. In the Gold Cup, they were more than competitive reaching the Quarter Finals only to be knocked out 2-0 by USA. In the Caribbean Championship, it's not fair they just run riot not losing a game all tournament. In the last year without being disrespectful the only real quality of opposition they have played beside the Gold Cup is Peru and Venezuela and are scheduled to play Ecuador and Colombia in early September. If the Caribbean is to thrive, they need exposure to quality teams, yes they may lose some games on the way but the standard will rise, and these quality players and other diamonds in the rough will emerge.


An exciting prospect for Jamaica is the 2014 World Cup  with already being placed in a pot with USA and two other yet to be qualified sides that range from Haiti, Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao, Grenada, Guatemala, Belize & St. Vincent and Grenadines. After seeing this, they have a great chance of qualifying with 2 of either themselves USA and any of those two to qualify and bar a minor miracle USA and Jamaica should cruise through to the next stage.


The winners and runners up of those groups go into a group of 8, which should include teams such as Mexico, Costa Rica and Cuba. The top three of the 8 go directly to the World Cup Finals, and the fourth placed team will have a Play off against the first placed team of the OFC in two legs, which will probably be New Zealand, who enjoyed a successful 2010 World Cup not losing throughout the group stage, including a 1-1 draw with Italy which many believe New Zealand should have won.


Whatever happens, I hope Jamaica, in fact, the Caribbean gets the recognition they deserve and maybe just maybe we will see the flair and big smiles of the Jamaican players on the world stage.