Theodore Whitmore scored twice to earn Jamaica their first World Cup win in Lyon yesterday as Japan were made to pay a heavy price for poor finishing.
Masashi Nakayama pulled a goal back for the Japanese a quarter of an hour from the end but despite intense pressure and the fervent backing of more than 30,000 supporters, they were unable to snatch an equaliser.
It was a frustrating way for the co-hosts of the 2002 World Cup to conclude their first finals appearance after being unlucky not to take something from their matches against Argentina and Croatia. But they only had themselves to blame after squandering chance after chance.
Whitmore put Jamaica ahead five minutes before half-time after running on to a knock-down from Wimbledon striker Marcus Gayle and firing a low shot that beat Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi after a deflection off defender Naoki Soma.
Nine minutes after the interval the 25-year-old midfielder made it two. After breaking clear, he cut inside the Norio Omura and fired a left-foot shot into the corner of Kawaguchi's net.
Brazilian-born substitute Wagner Lopes' header across the Jamaican goal gave Nakayama an easy finish for Japan's first World Cup goal in the 74th minute.
But the forward's joy will have been tempered by the knowledge that he should have claimed the historic goal a quarter of an hour earlier when all he had to do was to tap in the rebound from a Lopes shot. Instead he dried to dribbled round Aaron Lawrence and gave Christopher Dawes the chance to clear.
Two more great chances went abegging after Jamaica scored their second. Full back Akira Narahashi made a great run to get on the end of Hiroshi Nanami's cross only to see his volley rebound off the Jamaican post. A minute later striker Shoji Jo, who had missed a hatful of first-half chances, failed to hit the target from 16 yards.
The result has prompted Japan coach Takeshi Okada to resign. Okada said: "When a coach fails to achieve what he sets out to do, he has to take decisive action. It is entirely my responsibility that we did not win a match that could have been won or take at least a draw from it," Okada said.
Hristo Bonev of Bulgaria also resigned following his team's failure to qualify for the second round. Three coaches have been sacked - Tunisia's Henri Kasperczak, South Korea's Cha Bum-Kun and Carlos Alberto Parreira of Saudi Arabia.
