‘We weren’t ready to play’ - Hall laments slow start as Reggae Boyz beaten by Canada

National senior men's football team head coach Paul Hall said that the Reggae Boyz's inability to settle quickly was their downfall in their 4-0 defeat to Canada in their World Cup qualifying game at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, yesterday.

First-half goals from Cyle Larin in the 13th minute and Tajon Buchanan in the 44th minute gave the Canadians a 2-0 lead into half time and late strikes from Junior Hoilett in the 82nd minute and an Adrian Mariappa own goal in the 88th minute secured Canada's first FIFA World Cup Finals berth since 1986.

With a rotated squad which included five local players, Jamaica failed to find their footing from the opening whistle, unable to delay the Canadians' attack nor their World Cup qualification.

Jamaica only registered two shots for the entire game, with one on target. Their slow start, Hall said, left them chasing the game with few opportunities for a breakthrough.

"We didn't really come out ready to play," Hall said. "We got started very slowly. I said to the players that you can't give a team like that a head start because you will never get it back. After all, they are a good team, but I don't think there were four goals better than us."

The squad saw five local players included in the starting 11 and Harbour View's Tarick Ximines making his international debut. Hall says that they have to band together to build the foundations for the next qualifying cycle.

"It just amplifies the fact that we have to look at our journey and stick to what it is we are doing because we are on our own little journey and we can't get carried away," he said. "I said to the group that it is about us. We need to stick together.

"We want to be where Canada is. And there is no reason why this team can't. So we have to plan long term and try to fix things while we are in the short term."

Jamaica remain in seventh place with eight points ahead of the final game of the qualifiers when they host bottom team Honduras at the National Stadium on Wednesday.