Curacao Crash Threatens Jamaica’s World Cup Dream
Reggae Boyz draw a blank in front of goal but have three games remaining to turn their campaign around
Curacao threw a spanner in Jamaica’s goal of reaching next year’s FIFA World Cup finals, after inflicting a 2-0 defeat on the misfiring Reggae Boyz last night.
Yet the Boyz are expected to bounce back from their first CONCACAF World Cup final round qualifier reversal when they tackle minnows Bermuda in Kingston’s National Stadium on Tuesday.
Despite Jamaica head coach Steve McClaren naming a whopping nine strikers in his initial squad, his firepower reduced when Birmingham City’s Demarai Gray suffered a groin injury during training, the Boyz drew a blank in Willemstad.
The hosts, coached by former Netherlands boss Dick Advocaat, gave Jamaica a lesson in finishing. Goals from Livano Comenencia and Kenji Gorre resulted in Curacao leapfrogging the Boyz to top Group B after three of their six qualifiers.
It was almost a perfect start for Curacao inside their cauldron of the Ergilio Hato Stadium, only for shotstopper Andre Blake to ably deal with Joshua Brenet’s third-minute close-range shot.
Curacao broke the deadlock courtesy of Comenencia’s spectacular 25-yard thunderbolt, which soared past stunned Blake and into the bottom left corner for their 14th-minute opener.
It took until the half-hour mark for the Boyz to respond, when Renaldo Cephas’ angled attempt was saved by keeper Eloy Room. The 25-year-old forward, who plies his trade in the Russian Premier League, tested Room six minutes later but lacked power and precision.
Jamaica’s best chance to score fell to Jon Russell on the stroke of half-time. His mis-hit shot beat Room, only for quick-thinking defender Jurien Gaari to brilliantly clear the ball off the line.
Curacao came close to doubling their lead immediately after the interval, but Blake dealt with the danger from Leandro Bacuna’s ambitious long-range attempt.
After Richard King tamely steered his header wide of the target, livewire Cephas tried his luck with a powerful drive from outside the box that resulted in a reflex stop from Room.
McClaren looked extremely frustrated on the sidelines as his team were playing second fiddle. It was music to the ears of Jamaica fans when the attacking duo of Kaheim Dixon and Shamar Nicholson were introduced for the last half hour.
Mexico-based Nicholson came close to an equaliser within 60 seconds of his arrival, his six-yard effort denied by Room. King and Bobby Decordova-Reid scuppered guilt-edged chances to square matters before Curacao doubled their lead.
The home supporters went wild with joy after Gorre picked out the top right corner on 68 minutes to put Curacao firmly in control.
McClaren swiftly shook things up by sending on Jahshaun Anglin and Karay Anderson in a desperate throw of the dice to avoid defeat. As these changes made little difference, Dujuan Richards was unleashed for the last ten minutes.
Suddenly the Boyz found their rhythm, with Anglin drawing the fifth save of the contest from Room before King netted in the 89th-minute. Yet a VAR review overturned King’s strike, as Anderson was in an offside position.
Jamaica tackle Bermuda on Tuesday and should not be as flat upfront, especially as they will be hunting maximum points before next month’s final two qualifiers.
Dwight Yorke’s Trinidad & Tobago will host the Boyz on 14 November, and three days later Curacao are the visitors to the National Stadium for what may turn out to be a World Cup qualifier decider.
New Group B leaders Curacao host T&T on Tuesday for a mouthwatering match and travel to Bermuda before the showdown in Kingston.
Only the three CONCACAF group winners are guaranteed a berth in next summer’s World Cup finals, with the two best-placed runners up then having to tackle the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.
McClaren will no doubt be given the boot if Jamaica fail to navigate their way to the World Cup finals.
Yet the Jamaica manager was missing his attacking pair of Gray and newcomer Seymour Reid against Curacao, on top of the absence of midfield maestro Leon Bailey following a recent injury setback.
JAMAICA: Blake – Bell, Pinnock, King, Lembikisa – Decordova-Reid (Anglin, 73), Fray (Anderson, 73) – Cephas, Russell (Dixon, 61) Campbell (Richards, 80) – Cadamarteri (Nicolson, 61) Subs: Holgate, Chambers, Burrell, Latibeaudiere, Lowe, Leign, Waite
CONCACAF GROUP A
El Salvador 0 Panama 1, Suriname 1 Guatemala 1
1=. Panama 5pts (+1 goal difference)
1=. Suriname 5pts (+1 goal difference)
3. El Salvador 3pts (-1)
4. Guatemala 2pts (-1)
CONCACAF GROUP B
Bermuda 0 Trinidad & Tobago 3, Curacao 2 Jamaica 0
1. Curacao 7pts (+3 goal difference)
2. JAMAICA 6pts (+4)
3. Trinidad & Tobago 4pt (+1)
4. Bermuda 0pts (-8)
CONCACAF GROUP C
Honduras 0 Costa Rica 0, Nicaragua 0 Haiti 3
1. Haiti 5pts (+3 goal difference)
2. Honduras 4pts (+2)
3. Costa Rica 3pts (0)
4. Nicaragua 2pts (-2)
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