ST PAUL, Minnesota, CMC – Minnows Guyana tasted defeat in their historic CONCACAF Gold Cup debut here Tuesday night when they went down 4-0 to powerhouse and co-host United States.
The loss was one of two on the night for the English-speaking Caribbean in Group D at Allianz Field after Trinidad and Tobago suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Panama in the marquee match-up.
United States top the group ahead of Panama on goal difference with three points, with Guyana and T&T languishing at the bottom without a point.
There was hope Guyana could spring a surprise on their far superior opponents and that dream stayed alive when they trailed only 1-0 at half-time through Paul Arriola’s 28th minute strike.
However, the floodgates opened in the second half to erase any doubt over the result. Tyler Boyd doubled USA’s lead in the 51st minute, beating goalkeeper Akel Clarke from 13 yards out after being picked out on the edge of the box by Michael Bradley’s searching cross.
And just four minutes later, the result was beyond dispute when defender Terrence Van Couten headed away Arriola’s cross into the box only for the ball to ricochet from Gyasi Zardes’s head into the back of the nets.
Boyd got his brace nine minutes from the end when he curled in a superb right-footer from the edge of the 15-yard box.
Guyana will now face Panama in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday.
T&T, meanwhile, remained in the contest up until half-time with neither team able to break the stalemate.
Eight minutes following the resumption, however, Armanda Cooper put Panama ahead with a sliding finish and Edgar Barcenas provided further sorrow for T&T nine minutes from the end when he beat Marvin Phillip after the previous two shots had been saved by the custodian.
T&T take on United States in Cleveland in their second outing also on Saturday.
