PRIORITY, IN many cases, is really what each individual makes it out to be.

For instance, two Jamaica football teams were involved in international competition within the past week. And there is only one technical director, the recently acquired Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic, who is also the head coach of the senior Reggae Boyz.

He travelled with that team to Hong Kong for a quadrangular tournament - the Lunar New Year's Cup - involving Under-23 teams from the China and Australia, as well as a Hong Kong League XI.

Jamaica won that tournament and, for that, I say congratulations. Winning, like losing, is a habit and there was a time when Jamaica couldn't even beat a fly. The opponents were not great but still, congratulations.

On the other side of the world, Central America to be exact, Jamaica's Under-20 team was involved in a CONCACAF Final Round World Cup play-off involving hosts Mexico, Costa Rica and Caribbean side St. Kitts/Nevis. Only two of the countries would qualify for the World Cup competition.

Clearly, Milutinovic and the football governors must have noted the choices prior to having decided on a tournament practice series ahead of the more important World Cup qualifying detail.

Milutinovic joined the Under-20

In fact, Milutinovic did join the Under-20 team. After the senior team comprising mainly Under-23 age-group players won the Lunar Cup final on penalties over China, and ahead of the then very, very crucial match against Mexico, as they had already lost their first game of the series to Costa Rica.

There is no guarantee that Jamaica would have won the Under-20 match against Costa Rica but for just about every reason, he should have been there.

Assessing the team ahead of the competition, concessions could have been made for a loss or draw at best against Mexico, based on quality, tradition, home advantage and the fact that this Mexican Under-20 unit was a graduate from its Under-17 World Cup-winning side.

Without great knowledge other than the fact that they must have done well to have qualified to this stage, plans must certainly have been made for victories over St. Kitts/Nevis and Costa Rica.

That appeared thecertain ticket to the World Cup Finals in Canada.

Since Costa Rica were the first opponents, it definitely was the match you couldn't afford to lose because it was not only an immediate, but huge setback.

Milutinovic is huge, huge, huge in international football. The 62-year-old Serbian-born coach has done what none other has gone close to: Coach five different countries at the senior World Cup Finals.

He is well-travelled and knows the game - as it is played on the field and off it - far greater than any national coach in this country.

It is the reason why Jamaica pays so much for a foreign coach, and one of his stature, to benefit from that knowledge.

Competitiveness

Jamaica's youth football teams have always been good. We have a tradition of being very competitive and on many occasions, national juvenile teams have gone close to qualifying for the World Cup Finals.

It actually happened twice, in 1999 and 2001, when our Under-17 and Under-20 teams made it to the Finals in New Zealand and Argentina.

Those teams had better quality and significantly more international matches.

That is another reason why Milutinovic should have been with the Under-20 unit ahead of the Costa Rica match. Jamaica needed to draw on every bit of advantage it could get and Milutinovic, given his superior involvement and know-how, could have been able to detect, advise, strategise and counter some little thing that none among its coaching staff might have, which just might have made the big difference in the outcome.

The competition, as indicated by the scores, was close. Mexico beat Jamaica and St. Kitts/Nevis 2-0, then drew 1-1 with Costa Rica. Jamaica drew 1-1 with St. Kitts/Nevis and also lost 2-0 to Costa Rica, who also beat St. Kitts/Nevis 3-2.

Close game

In the Jamaica-Costa Rica match, Jamaica actually got a chance to equalise with the Central Americans leading 1-0, which indicates just how close the game really was.

It is a near cardinal sin to possess such expertise and not have the advantage of the technical director in your corner at such crucial and decisive moments.

His absence makes one thing crystal clear: The senior team and Under-23s gearing toward Olym-pics and World Cup qualifying are Milutinovic's priority.

That is already defined, and clearly so with the senior national football team head coach title.

Even amid that understanding, at this time it was certainly worth more for him to have been there with the Under-20s for one more game, to enhance the chances of earning a spot in the World Cup Finals, than staying one more game with the senior nationals to win a tournament series.

But then, it's all a matter of priority - mine is not necessarily yours.

Feedback: audley.boyd@gleanerjm.com