Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz formalized their exit from the 2024 CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup after playing to a 1-1 result in the final match of Group B of League A on Sunday night at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The result means that Panama has finished in first-place in the group with seven points and has qualified for the W Gold Cup group stage. Guatemala will progress to the Prelims, having finished on five points, while Jamaica finished in third.
Ana Martinez put the host ahead on 20 minutes when she converted a penalty after being needlessly fouled by Lauren Reid, who also gave away a penalty against Panama last week.
Equaliser on 66 minutes
However, Davia Richards found the equaliser on 66 minutes when she raced onto a defence-splitting pass before poking home.
Jamaica was quickly out the blocks in the must-win contest and went close from a right-sided corner kick which forced the Guatemala defenders to throw themselves into blocked shots on goal. However, it was Guatemala who broke the deadlock in the 10’.
Martinez was taken down in the Jamaica penalty area and it she picked herself up and converted from the spot to hand the home side a 1-0 lead.
Richards made no mistake
Then just after the half hour mark Andrea Alvarez tested Jamaican goalkeeper Serena Mensah with a long range shot which she tipped over the horizontal.
The Jamaicans were eager to get back in the game and a long ball played up to the Guatemalan half fell kindly to Richards who made no mistake in the 66 minute.
The Jamaicans appeared disjointed and not as fluent as in previous games and it was no surprise they got eliminated as they never created many chances, allowing the host defenders to hold firm to the end.
