6 hours ago
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JAMAICA’S REGGAE Boyz exited the Concacaf Gold Cup at the group stage for the first time in six tournaments after conceding a first-half Ismael Diaz hat-trick to go down 4-1 in their must-win Group C match against Panama at the Q2 Stadium in Texas yesterday.
Diaz scored in the fourth and the 17th to give Panama a dream start, and although Amari’i Bell pulled a goal back in the the 27th, Diaz made it 3-1 from the spot in the 45th minute before Thomas Rodriguez put the icing on the cake with an 89th-minute goal.
The Jamaicans finished third in the group on three points, three behind second-place Guatemala, who defeated Guadeloupe 3-2, while Panama topped the group with maximum nine points.
Diaz fired the Panamians in front after just four minutes when his deflected strike from 25 yards deceived Andre Blake for the opener.
The attacker would add a second after 17 minutes, weaving his way into the Jamaican penalty area and slamming a low shot under the usually reliable Blake, who could have done better.
However, Jamaica would fight back and pulled back a goal in the 27th minute through Bell, who headed home after some good work and a great delivery from Dexter Lembisika on the right.
Warner Brown and Kasey Palmer also had good opportunities, but an overly anxious Brown failed to make clean contact from just outside the six-yard area, while goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera went full stretch to deny Palmer’s precise effort from the edge of the box.
Jamaica conceded a penalty just before the break when Palmer brought down Azaria Londono in the box, and Diaz slotted home the penalty to restore Panama’s two-goal cushion
The Reggae Boyz thought they had a penalty of their own in first-half stoppage time when Brown was fouled in the area, but after a seven-minute deliberation, the referee decided that the incident did not warrant a spot kick.
The Central Americans came out in the second half and controlled the tempo of the game and had a couple threatening moves that caused the Reggae Boyz some nervy moments.
Nevertheless, the Boyz showed some initiative of their own, and Renaldo Cephas should have had a penalty after he was pulled back in the box.
Cephas then had a great opportunity in the 69th minute after he found space just outside the area, but his weak shot presented no trouble for Mosquera in goal.
Kaheim Dixon made his presence felt moments after coming on, slamming a low shot against the post before Cephas’ follow up effort was turned away for a corner.
Rodriguez then wiped away any hopes the Jamaicans may have harboured when he broke away in the final minute and slotted into an unguarded net to seal Panama’s win.
English (US) ·