Reggae Boyz Lose to Paraguay After Conceding Costly Freak Strike in Copa America
Goalkeeper DuWayne Kerr conceded a freak strike which almost ensures that the Reggae Boyz face a Copa America exit after tackling Argentina on Saturday.
Although Jamaica mustered just one shot on target against Paraguay, to once again suffer a slender but flattering 1-0 defeat in the tournament, the 37th-minute strike was surreal – and the Boyz were fortunate not to concede a second-half penalty in Chile.
Kerr was swift off his line in an attempt to clear Victor Caceres’ lofted ball just outside of his box, only to make a terrible mistake and gift the goal with his misplaced header directed straight at the oncoming Edgar Benitez.
The ball came off the midfielder’s thigh and flicked over the stranded Kerr into the gaping unguarded goalmouth for a fluke lead that left Jamaica in disbelief at conceding.
The tie started off badly for the Boyz when kick-off was delayed because Adrian Mariappa ripped the base of his socks so arrived on the pitch wearing his own, only for the defender to be sent back by referee Carlos Vera to change.
But Mariappa avoided the wrath of Vera for a second time, getting away with Vera being unsighted on 70 minutes when he blocked Roque Santa Cruz’s header with his arm.
Despite requiring at least a draw to have any chance of progressing, coach Winfried Schäfer opted to drop hot-shot striker Darren Mattocks and bring in midfielder Jevaughn Watson for his uninspiring 4-5-1 starting line-up.
Yet the Boyz were still unable to create any real goal-scoring chances, as they proved in Saturday’s reversal to Uruguay in the same stadium, so it was simply a repeat performance against Paraguay in their second Group B game.
The rather insipid defeat in reality signals the end of Jamaica’s interest in the competition unless they shock the football fraternity and see off Argentina on Saturday.
Paraguay, who bounced back to finish 2-2 against Argentina in their opening Copa America clash, were in the ascendency throughout and seeking their first victory in the prestigious tournament since the USA were their victims in 2007.
Although Ramon Diaz’s team arrived in Chile with only one victory from nine exhibition matches, having reached at least the quarter-finals in seven of the past eight Copa tournaments, they were superior to Jamaica in all departments.
Early counter-attacks ended in passes leaving loose balls too close to Kerr to deal with. Benitez, Raul Bobadilla, Derlis Gonzalez and Santa Cruz looked formidable on the attack that resulted in defenders Rodolph Austin and Wes Morgan both being booked within the opening quarter of an hour.
Paraguay looked threatening in attack with Santa Cruz, the former Manchester City striker, having three shots on-target during the opening half – his closest effort to breaking the deadline was a thunderous volley on 32 minutes that Kerr was equal to.
The Boyz seemed solid in defence, superbly soaking up the pressure with Kemar Lawrence industrious. Yet they could do nothing to prevent the all-important and unconventional goal that was long overdue.
And Paraguay pushed forward to try to kill the contest with a second goal.
They thought they had doubled their lead early in the second half after Pablo Aguilar’s header back picked out Caceres at the far post, but his volley was ruled offside.
Caceres was keen to score and went on a mazy run that the midfielder polished off with a thunderous drive, which Kerr did well to parry behind the post. And Samudio was denied by the crossbar on the hour-mark following a neat one-two with Bobadilla to leave the Boyz overwhelmed.
There was controversy on 67 minutes when Simon Dawkins’ studs-up challenge on Caceres resulted in one of Schäfer’s assistants being sent to the stands, and moments later Mariappa’s apparent handball from Santa Cruz’s header went unpunished with the ref obviously unsighted.
Seeking an equaliser to keep alive their dreams of progressing, Austin and substitute Mattocks both headed efforts narrowly wide of the target in injury time.
Jamaica, who initially went through a lean spell in front of goal under Schäfer, are in disarray after tasting back-to-back 1-0 defeats in Antofagasta on their Copa America debut and Kerr’s botched clearance cost them dearly.
Dogged defending – employed resolutely by Schäfer since November’s Caribbean Cup success – is only useful if goals are scored at the other end, with Simon Dawkins and Giles Barnes largely anonymous and only Garath McCleary’s dribbles causing any headaches to the opposition.
No points and no goals from two matches is grim reading for any fan of the Boyz, and the biggest test is yet to come when Argentina and their maestro Lionel Messi are next up at Vina del Mar on Saturday.
Even optimistic Schäfer admitted: “We can’t play like Argentina because our football is fighting, passing, counter-attack and teamwork.”
JAMAICA: Kerr – Lawrence, Morgan, Hector, Mariappa – Dawkins (Mattocks, 76), McAnuff, Austin, McCleary, Watson (Laing, 75), Barnes (Brown, 62). Subs: Miller, Thompson, Gordon, Gray, Taylor, Grant, Mattocks, Ottey, Parkes, Williams