Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
Jamaica's defender Damion Stewart (right) heads the ball in front of Mexico's midfielder Luis Ernesto Perez during the second half action in the qualifying round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup match in Houston on Wednesday night. Mexico defeated Jamaica 1-0. - REUTERS
HOUSTON, Texas:
MEXICO KNOCKED Jamaica off the top of Group C with a 1-0 victory on Wednesday night at Houston Reliant Stadium and sent them packing for a quarter-final trip to Boston's Foxboro Stadium on Saturday against hosts the United States.
The Jamaicans started the day group leaders on four points with a superior goal difference to South Africa, but fell two places back to third, allowing Mexico and South Africa to secure the quarter-final berths for Houston on Sunday.
The South Africans, who started the day joint leaders with the Reggae Boyz on four points, drew 1-1 with Guatemala to move to five points and end second for a date with Panama.
UNMOLESTED
Mexico, who will meet Colombia in the other quarter-final in Houston, took the lead in the 19th minute when Luis Ernesto Perez made a delightful chipped pass over midfield through the centre of the Jamaican defence for Alberto Medina running from behind. No one picked up the striker and, with two of the central defenders caught square away from the centre of the pitch, he broke unmolested at goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers and drove a low shot past the advancing custodian and into the net.
Jamaica finished the match with 10 players when full back Omar Daley, one of six changes to the team that tied with South Africa 3-3 in Los Angeles on Sunday, was red carded in the 70th minute for a second bookable offence on a tackle.
He had picked up his first booking in the 43rd minute for unsportsmanlike behaviour when he disapprovingly slammed the ball into the turf after being called for a foul.
Mexico dominated possession and looked menacing through the first half but the Jamaicans fought their way back and pushed the North Americans to the limit in the second half, where their captain Andy Williams had a fierce shot saved at the last minute.
SEVERAL RAIDS
Both teams created several good opportunities to score though Mexico were particularly dangerous while launching several raids and playing many squares across Jamaica's goal in the first half. But the biggest problems came from the positional inter-changing which made them difficult to track and often had Jamaica on the run.
Apart from their own good rotational play, Mexico's forward movement in the first half was facilitated by the Jamaicans who gave them too much respect by surrendering too much space and allowing them an easy passage into their defensive third.
To Jamaica's credit, Mexico created one more clear scoring chance for the half - following a series of one-twos - which Gonzalo Pineda hit low and Sawyers saved at the 28th minute.
When they had the ball, the Boyz were more assured and made some good combinations that produced very good scoring opportunities in the first half. The better ones fell for Teofore Bennett, who shot wide of an empty goal from an angle after beating the Mexican goalie before they had scored; and later Omar Daley, whose shot on the stroke of half-time beat the goalie but was deflected wide by Ricardo Osorio.
Jermaine Hue hit a shot just wide to which the goalie had no clue and Damani Ralph, Hue and Jermaine Taylor all tried instinctive shots from long range with the goalkeeper well off his line.
Jamaica played a much better second half and got increasingly dangerous when Fuller especially, and Johnson who shot a tame effort to the goalie and was forced wide by a defender with another chance, joined the action and were running Mexico into the ground.
But they negated that good work by continuing to commit too few players into attack and several good openings from crosses went abegging as their 14-match unbeaten streak came to an end.
TEAMS:
Jamaica: 1-Shawn Sawyers (GK), 3-Damion Stewart, 4-Jermaine Taylor, 9-Andrew Williams, 16-Omar Daley, 17-Jermaine Hue, 18-Khari Stephenson, 19-Garfield Reid, 20-Damani Ralph (10-Ricardo Fuller, 60th), 23-Teofore Bennett (12-Jermaine Johnson, 60th), 25-Claude Davis.
Mexico: 1-Moises Munoz (GK), 2-Francisco Rodriguez, 3-Carlos Arnaldo Salcido, 4-Ricardo Osorio, 7-Antonio Naelson (17-Rafael Lugo, 48th), 9-Jared Borgetti, 14-Gonzalo Pineda, 19-Alberto Medina (5-Israel Lopez, 59th), 21-Gerardo Galindo, 22-Hector Altamirano (10-Omar Bravo, 81st), 23-Luis Ernesto Perez.
