Bulls Abroad: Kemar Lawrence sits for Jamaica's 2-0 loss to Haiti

Kemar Lawrence did well to stay out of this one. The New York Red Bulls defender - a stalwart starter for the Reggae Boyz for much of the past three years - was given a rare night off for Jamaica's dead-rubber World Cup qualifying match against Haiti.

The deserted stands in Kingston spoke to the Jamaican public's enthusiasm for a team that started its 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with a loss at home, and was bounced off the road to Russia with a game to spare in the semi-final round of CONCACAF qualifying. And those fans who decided to stay home saw their decision validated by a lackluster performance from the Reggae Boyz, who closed out their desultory qualifying effort as they had started: with a loss at home.

With head coach Winfried Schafer suspended by his own federation for alleged post-match shenanigans, it fell to assistant Miguel Coley to guide Jamaica through its last WCQ of this cycle. Kemar Lawrence was not in the starting lineup as the Reggae Boyz opted for a 3-5-2 formation that never really got going.

With nothing to play for but pride, it was a chance for some emerging players to get experience, and Jamaica duly handed Bethlehem Steel's Cory Burke his first cap, alongside only-occasionally-used Dever Orgill up front.

Haiti brought a B-team - arguably C-team - to its September internationals, and will be more pleased than Jamaica with the results. Les Grenadiers have been reliably difficult to break down, regardless of personnel, in this qualifying campaign. They got out of Costa Rica last week with a 1-0 loss to a wonder goal.

And though they had to absorb some heavy pressure from the Jamaicans, they have perhaps become accustomed to that mode of football. The Haitians handled everything the Reggae Boyz through at them and grew steadily into the game. In the 68th minute, Kevin LaFrance broke the deadlock to give Haiti its first goal in this qualifying group.

And in the 88th minute, Duckens Nazon gave Haiti a second.

Les Grenadiers moved above Jamaica in the Group B standings of CONCACAF's fourth round of World Cup qualifying. They will look forward to October's Caribbean Cup qualifiers.

For Jamaica, rock bottom of the group, twice beaten at home (but also the only team in the group to take points off Costa Rica) in this round, and still nursing the memory of the 3-2 home defeat by Nicaragua that kicked off this qualifying campaign - it is time to rebuild.