Jamaica\'s forward surprise at Barnes\' exit

Jamaican international and Colorado Rapids forward Omar Cummings was as surprised as most with the recent head coaching change in Jamaica so close to the 2009 Gold Cup tournament, according to a report by Brian Jennings on www.soccer365.com.



John Barnes leaves as head coach of the Reggae Boyz as their first Gold Cup match looms on July 3. It was not necessarily that Cummings did not see it coming but the timing was a bit of shock to him. \"A journalist called the same day it happened. I was a little surprised, but I wouldn\'t say a great deal. He made it known that there were teams in England that were pursuing him to become a coach. I think at least he would stay on through the Gold Cup, so before was a big surprise.\" Barnes has been named the new coach with Tranmere Rovers in England.



Barnes\' contract with the JFF was through the end of June this year, but one thought has been that he would stay on through the Gold Cup then an evaluation would take place at that time. \"He was the one controlling the practice games leading up to it. So for him to be through the practice games and then be out of it was a big surprise. I have no idea what is going on right now,\" says the Jamaican forward.



One thing is known and that is the coach will once again be former player Theodore \"Tappa\" Whitmore, who held the job on two previous occasions.



\"It\'s very informal, he\'s one of the guys, and guys respect him for what he\'s done for the country. He\'s more of a player\'s coach. He interacts with the guys on a very simple level. Guys can talk to him basically like you\'re talking to a player, it\'s your captain,\" explains Cummings, who was part of Whitmore\'s World Cup qualifying run and a member of Jamaica\'s Digicel Caribbean Championship team in December.



As of now, Cummings and the other MLS players from Jamaica have not been called in for the Gold Cup squad. \"For right now my focus is here (Colorado). If I\'m called up I\'ll change my focus, but right now my focus is in Colorado. I\'m not worried about it. If I do get called up, I do. If not, then not.\"