Reggae Boyz rock Mexico with stunning 3-2 Nations League upset
Reggae Boyz. photo: concacaf
Key Points(5)
- Jamaica's Reggae Boyz produced one of their most memorable performances in recent times, stunning Mexico 3-2 in the first leg of their Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal at the National Stadium on Saturday night to take a valuable advantage into Tuesday's decisive return encounter in Monterrey.
- In front of fewer than 6,000 spectators, the Jamaicans delivered a commanding display that threatened to become a rout before Mexico mounted a late recovery to keep themselves firmly in contention for a semifinal place.
- Rudolph Speid's men appeared to have the contest firmly under control after establishing a remarkable 3-0 advantage just past the hour mark, but goals from teenage sensation Gilberto Mora and Julián Quiñones dragged the visitors back into the tie.
- Nevertheless, the victory represented a significant achievement for Jamaica against a Mexican side struggling for consistency under new head coach Rafael Márquez, the former Barcelona defender and national team captain, whose winless run has now stretched to five matches.
- Three goals, three shots on target The Reggae Boyz needed a little fortune to break the deadlock, but there was nothing fortunate about the quality of the execution that followed.
Jamaica's Reggae Boyz produced one of their most memorable performances in recent times, stunning Mexico 3-2 in the first leg of their Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal at the National Stadium on Saturday night to take a valuable advantage into Tuesday's decisive return encounter in Monterrey.
In front of fewer than 6,000 spectators, the Jamaicans delivered a commanding display that threatened to become a rout before Mexico mounted a late recovery to keep themselves firmly in contention for a semifinal place.
Rudolph Speid's men appeared to have the contest firmly under control after establishing a remarkable 3-0 advantage just past the hour mark, but goals from teenage sensation Gilberto Mora and Julián Quiñones dragged the visitors back into the tie.
Nevertheless, the victory represented a significant achievement for Jamaica against a Mexican side struggling for consistency under new head coach Rafael Márquez, the former Barcelona defender and national team captain, whose winless run has now stretched to five matches.
Three goals, three shots on target
The Reggae Boyz needed a little fortune to break the deadlock, but there was nothing fortunate about the quality of the execution that followed.
Mexico began brightly, using quick combinations and purposeful forward movement to unsettle the Jamaican defense. Goalkeeper Jamali Waite was called into action early as the visitors sought to impose themselves on the contest.
However, the momentum shifted in the 28th minute following an unusual sequence that handed Jamaica a corner. Mexican goalkeeper Raúl Rangel failed to complete a goal kick within the five-second countdown, prompting Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar to award the home team the set piece.
Ronaldo Webster delivered an inviting, left-footed inswinger from the right, and defender Jesús Gallardo, attempting to deal with the delivery, inadvertently headed the ball into his own net.
The breakthrough settled the Jamaicans, who began to show greater confidence in possession and made better use of the width provided by Renaldo Cephas on the left and Kaheim Dixon on the opposite flank.
Defensively, Jamaica also became more organized, with players tracking their opponents diligently and maintaining numbers behind the ball to frustrate Mexico's attacking movements.
Cephas delivers the second-half thunderbolt
If Speid was satisfied with his team's first-half effort, he had even more reason to celebrate immediately after the restart.
Barely a minute into the second half, Jamaica struck again with a superbly constructed attack that left the Mexican defense exposed.
Dixon collected a long ball on the right before quickly switching play across to Cephas, who received possession just outside the penalty area on the opposite flank.
The winger then took on Israel Reyes, worked his way inside and unleashed a powerful right-footed shot that flew beyond Rangel and into the back of the net in the 46th minute.
It was a spectacular finish that stunned the visiting supporters and sent the Jamaican contingent into celebration as the Reggae Boyz doubled their advantage.
Mexico suddenly found themselves facing an enormous challenge, and things deteriorated further when Jamaica was awarded a penalty in the 62nd minute.
Dixon went down inside the penalty area following a challenge from Gallardo, but Escobar initially waved play on. VAR subsequently intervened, prompting the referee to review the incident on the pitchside monitor before reversing his original decision and pointing to the spot.
Central defender Richard King stepped forward and calmly converted in the 63rd minute, giving Jamaica a seemingly unassailable 3-0 lead.
It was King's second international goal and capped an extraordinary passage of play for the home side, who had converted all three of their efforts on target.
Mexico fight back to keep quarterfinal alive
Mexico, however, refused to surrender and found a way back into the contest through the influence of their promising young talent.
Mora, one of the standout performers for the visitors, reduced the deficit in the 70th minute after combining neatly with substitute Santiago Sandoval.
The goal gave Mexico renewed belief, and they continued to press for another breakthrough.
Their persistence was rewarded in the 81st minute when Webster fouled Sandoval inside the penalty area, allowing Escobar to award the visitors a spot kick.
Quiñones accepted the opportunity, converting confidently to bring Mexico within one goal at 3-2 and dramatically change the complexion of the tie.
With the away-goal rule in operation, the two late strikes were particularly significant, giving Mexico renewed hope heading into the second leg.
The visitors pushed hard for an equalizer during the closing stages, but Jamaica held its defensive shape, resisted the pressure and protected its slender advantage until the final whistle.
The Reggae Boyz will now travel to Estadio BBVA in Monterrey knowing that their impressive home victory has put them in a strong position, although Mexico's late resurgence means the job is far from finished.
Teams: Jamaica - Jamali Waite, Miguel Freckleton, Courtney Clarke (Dwight Merrick 83rd), Richard King, Kaheim Dixon (Khori Bennett 74th), Javon East (Christopher Ainsworth 83rd), Joel Latibeaudiere, Karoy Anderson, Kyle Ming (Denzil Hall 46th), Renaldo Cephas (Ricky Jones 75th), Ronaldo Webster.
Booked: None.
Substitutes not used: Joshua Grant, Amal Knight, Tyrese Hall, Warner Brown, Ramone Howell, Jeovanni Laing, Daniel Green.
Mexico - Raúl Rangel, César Montes (Kevin Álvarez 64th), Johan Vásquez, Erik Lira, Luis Romo (Santiago Sandoval 64th), Gilberto Mora, Santiago Giménez (Jesús Corona 71st), Israel Reyes, Julián Quiñones, Roberto Alvarado (Alexis Vega 71st), Jesús Gallardo.
Booked: None.
Substitutes not used: Oscar Garcia, Alex Padilla, Jesus Orozco, Alvaro Fidalgo, Erick Sanchez, Armando Gonzalez, Mateo Chavez, Diego Campilo.
Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)
First Assistant Referee: Luis Ventura (Guatemala)
Second Assistant Referee: Humberto Panjoj (Guatemala)
Fourth Official: Bryan Lopez (Guatemala)
VAR: Tatiana Guzman (Nicaragua)
AVAR 1: Annays Rosario (Puerto Rico)
Match Commissioner: Alfredo Whittaker (Cayman Islands)
