Lowe ... sent off in the 25th minute TEGUCIGALPA:
A DISPUTED goal in the final minute of regulation, from substitute Danilo Turcios, handed Honduras a 1-0 win over Jamaica at the National Stadium in Tegucigalpa yesterday.
The defeat, Jamaica's first loss in the semi-final round of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying Group D, ensured that both teams advanced to next year's final round.
Honduras came into the game needing only a point to advance to the final round and the win took them to the top of the points standing, on goal-difference, ahead of Jamaica. Both teams are on 12 points.
Jamaica's chances were not helped any after top marksman Onandi Lowe was red carded in the first half. The burly striker who plays for the Rochester Raging Rhinos in the US-League retaliated to a foul by defender Jose Reinaldo Clavasquin by head butting him right in front of the assistant referee.
Referee Ricardo Valenzuela ordered Lowe off the field and then the Honduran minutes later after he got up from the ground where he was getting treatment from his team's medical staff. A total of eight cards were issued in the game with either team getting three more yellow cards.
The goal came when the Jamaican team appeared to have settled for a point. The ball, which was crossed from the left wing, appeared to have been handled by a Honduran player but was not spotted by any of the officials. Milton Nunez just failed to get a head to the ball in front of an empty goal, with goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts stranded on the other side.
Defender Ian Goodison just managed to clear the ball but only as far as Turcios who was waiting on the edge of the area. The player had time to get the ball under control and rifle a beauty through the Jamaican defence and into the back of the net as the packed stadium erupted in a deafening roar.
Despite the loss Jamaica's technical director, Clovis de Oliviera, told reporters that while he was not pleased with the result, he was very pleased with the attitude of the team as they did not panic and showed lots of poise.
The goal, he said, was a very good shot by the Honduran rather than any mistakes by the Jamaican players. His opposite number Ramon Maradiaga said through interpreters after the game that they are enjoying the victory right now as it was too early to even start thinking about the next round.
He said also that Jamaica did not surrender at any stage as they had good players like Walter Boyd and Lowe. With a small number of supporters who had come on a special charter cheering them from the minute they stepped on the field, the Jamaican team looked at least equal to the Hondurans in the first half even after Lowe's expulsion.
Right full back Tyrone Marshall who came into the game with a bothersome groin injury, got the first real chance for the Jamaicans in the eighth minute when he intercepted a pass from inside his own half, dribbled inside the Honduran area and after a slick combination with Lowe, curled a left foot shot just wide of the far post.
Lowe never got the chance to get going as no fewer than two defenders were always on hand every time he got the ball. He fell to the trap that was set in the 25th minute when he retaliated to a rought tackle by Clavasquin who kicked him in the back of the thigh after the ball they were after had gone out of touch.
The defender then confronted Lowe who took the bait and butted him.
Hondura's best chance of the first half came in the 32nd minute when Milton Reyes who had the better of left full back Stephen Malcolm for most of the first half, outran the left full back and crossed inside to Pavon whose header crashed into the left upright and rebounded across the goal before any other player could get to it.
Marshall's second chance came two minutes later when he again intercepted a Honduran pass and with lots of space between him and the goalkeeper, tried to pass to Boyd and the pass was cut off.
Ricketts who had an outstanding game pulled off two brilliant saves at the end of the first half to keep the scores level.
In the 42nd minute he left his line in a flash to get to the ball just ahead of the advancing Nunez. Three minutes later he was again quick to his left to block a low hard shot from Julio Cesar Leon that went for a corner.
The second half was forgettable as Jamaica dropped back mostly in defence, taking one shot, by substitute Jernmaine Johnson for the entire 45 minutes.
The first real forward movement came after 60 minutes when Andy Williams found himself with a lots of room but the speedy Milton Reyes cut him down before he had advanced 10 metres. The introduction of Wolde Harris for the largely ineffective Boyd did nothing for the Jamaican attack as he was never given the chance to settle down.
With time winding down, the stage looked set for Jamaica to maintain their unbeaten run in the group before the goal which was well taken, silenced what was left of the Jamaican contingent and left the Hondurans celebrating well into the night.
Teams - Honduras - Noel Eduardo Valladares (GK), Ninrod Medina, Mario Ivan Guerrero, Jose Reinaldo Clavasquin, Jorge Samuel Caballero, Milton Reyes (Danilo Turcios), Jose Luis Pineda, Carlos Alberto Pavon, Julio CesarLeon (Jairo Martinez), Milton Omar Nunez, Amado Guevara.
Jamaica - Donovan Ricketts (GK), Tyrone Marshall, Ian Goodison, Shavar Thomas, Linval Dixon, Stephen Malcolm, Theodore Whitmore, Christopher Dawes, Andrew Williams (Jermaine Johnson), Walter Boyd (Wolde Harris), Onandi Lowe.
By Paul A. Reid
Staff Reporter
