Jamaica stuns USA 2-1 in Gold Cup semis - Mohave Valley News
The Reggae Boyz stunned the U. S. with a pair of first-half goals, one off a blunder by goalkeeper Brad Guzan, and held on for a 2-1 victory in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals Wednesday night. Instead of heading on to an expected berth in Sunday’s title game at Philadelphia, the American will play a day earlier against Panama for third place following their first home loss to a Caribbean nation since a 1969 defeat to Haiti. Darren Mattocks, who plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps in Major League Soccer, put Jamaica ahead with a 31st-minute header directly off a throw-in. Houston Dynamo’s Giles Barnes followed five minutes later with a goal on an 18-yard free kick after Guzan was caught outside the penalty area on a routine throw. They finished with a 10-3 edge in shots on goal — including eight in the second half, as they furiously charged at Jamaican goalkeeper Ryan Thompson, who plays for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the third-tier United Soccer League. Thompson was up to the task, turning aside every shot but Michael Bradley’s goal in the 48th minute. At the final whistle, the Jamaicans charged onto the field, hugging and waving their flag while a small contingent of fans, clad in green and gold, saluted their underdog team. A team ranked 76th in the world became the first Caribbean nation to reach a Gold Cup final. Source: www.mohavedailynews.com
