Jamaica beats SVG Under-20 2-0 in CFC games

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Under-20 footballers hold on to a slender lifeline, in their quest to reach the finals of the CONCACAF Zone in Trinidad and Tobago in March.{{more}}

They will have to face Central American giants Honduras, the third placed team in the UNAC grouping, in a play off for the eighth and final spot left for the Trinidad and Tobago contest.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines finished second best to Jamaica, when the Caribbean Zone Final finished here last Tuesday night at the Victoria Park.

The host team went under to the Jamaicans 0-2, through goals on either side of half time. First, l Continued from page 33

Vincentian defender Justin Stapleton turned the ball into his own net in the 13th minute, then Levaughn Williams beat goalkeeper Dwayne Sandy with a fierce right foot shot in the second period of play. The Vincentians went into the match needing only a draw to get straight qualification to the Final.

They had set themselves up, with a two nil win over the Dominican Republic, on the opening night of competition last Friday, and eeked out a historic win over Haiti last Sunday night.

Wendell Cuffy, in the 16th minute, and Darrren Hamlett, in the 56th, gave the Vincentians the triumph over the Dominican Republic, and it was a bit of individual brilliance from Cornelius Stewart in the 47th minute that did the trick against Haiti.

Expectations

Following the victory over Haiti, expectations grew and the thoughts of beating the Caribbean region’s top ranked team Jamaica were harboured.

A packed Victoria Park did little to motivate the local lads as they were quickly put under pressure by an aggressive and purposeful Jamaica outfit. St. Vincent and the Grenadines never got a chance to settle, as the Jamaicans camped out in their half for most of the first twenty minutes. It was this relentless pressure which resulted in Stapleton’s slip up.

The Vincentians hardly strung passes together, and the absence of a creative midfield, showed up the team’s deficiencies. Neither did the thousands who were hemmed in the venue helped, as they were at times uncomplimentary to the young players in their time of need.

The Jamaicans then used all the guile in the books, employing some theatrics once touched by the Vincentians, as their mission was partly accomplished, with the Vincentians doing enough to restrict the score line to one nil at the end of the first forty five minutes.

Missed opportunity

St. Vincent and the Grenadines was given a chance in the 56th minute of the match to draw level with Jamaica, after Captain Stewart drew a foul, and Trinidadian referee Geoffrey Hospedales pointed to the spot.

However, Shemmol Trimmingham’s shot went wide of the right upright. It was the second occasion that St. Vincent and the Grenadines had missed from the spot. On Sunday, versus Haiti, it was the turn of Stewart to miss, but he got his reprieve with his superb strike.

But, neither Trimmingham nor his teammates were so lucky a second time, as Williams in the 60th minute doubled Jamaica’s tally.

Unsavoury

It was the Vincentians’ first loss in the competition, which spanned eight matches, inclusive of a record beating 23-1 of the BVI last May, in Grenada.

Tuesday’s defeat was not taken easily by some of the players, who wept openly at reaching within one point of an unbeaten run, and an easier berth in the larger and more competitive CONCACAF finals.

Their efforts, though, were not appreciated by some Vincentians, who chose to boo them as they came forward to the stands to show their appreciation.

Other results

Jamaica had earned a one all tie with Haiti on the opening night Friday, and beat the Dominican Republic 4-1 on Sunday, to finish on seven points, one more than St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Haiti laced the Dominican Republic 6-1 earlier in Tuesday night’s other match to complete their sojourn with four points.

Canada, Mexico, the United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, host Trinidad and Tobago and now Trinidad and Tobago have qualified for the Finals.

Four teams will qualify for the CONCACAF grouping to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Egypt from September 25 to October 16.