Jamaica conceded for the first time in their final group game of the Caribbean Football Union Women’s Under-20 Football competition on Wednesday as they battled the Dominican Republic for group honours.
Jamaica conceded for the first time in their final group game of the Caribbean Football Union Women’s Under-20 Football competition on Wednesday as they battled the Dominican Republic for group honours.
It was clear from the first whistle that the Dominican Republic was prepared to play behind the ball and force the Jamaicans to try to break them down. The Young Reggae Girls created numerous chances early in the game but were unable to make any of them count as the visitors defended stubbornly to keep them out.
Dominican Republic themselves were restricted to long range efforts from distance and it was through one of these efforts that they got the go ahead goal.
In the 25th minute captain Lissy Guzman scored directly from a free kick when the ball bounced in the area and Jamaican goal keeper Taylor Grant misjudged the flight and the ball bounced over her head and into the net much to the delight of her opponents.
This Jamaican squad had talent and belief however and they dug deep to get themselves out of the hole they found themselves in. As she has done from the previous round of qualifiers, Kayla Gray found the back of the net in minute 38 to draw the scores level while scoring her sixth goal of the tournament.
It took Jamaica just over sixty seconds in the second half to find, what would turn out to be the winner, when Nicole Harris who had another good game for Jamaica curled an effort with the inside of her right foot, just inside the far post to make it 2-1.
Jamaica continued to press for more goals but the closest they would come was when Khadija Shaw struck the upright in the 60th minute. Dominica Republic did make an effort to find the equalizer late in the game but by then it was too little too late as Jamaica made it three from three to top Group B and set up a semifinal with Cuba on Friday.
In the day’s earlier game St. Kitts and Nevis outscored Suriname 5-3 in a game of academic interest only.
The semifinal pairings are Trinidad and Tobago against the Dominican Republic and Jamaica against Cuba. Both games will be played at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Friday October 25. The first game is at 4:00pm with the second set to begin at 6:00pm.
Photo: Kayla Gray battles a Dom Rep defender
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