Caribbean Cup: Curacao, Martinique seal Gold Cup spots

Oct 14, 2016, Sports, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....seal-gold-cup-spots/

In one of the most exciting nights in Scotiabank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup history, all three third-round games on Tuesday went to extra time with Curacao and Martinique earning semifinal places, as well as securing berths in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Defending champion Jamaica got its campaign off to a winning start in Guyana.
CONCACAF.com takes a look at all the action from the Caribbean’s qualifying competition for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Group 1 (at Leonora, Guyana)
Jamaica (1W-0D-0L, 3 points) provided evidence as to why it’s the Caribbean champion, erasing a two-goal deficit to defeat host Guyana (0-0-2, 0), 4-2 after extra time, at the National Track and Field Facility.
The Guyanese took a lead in a second consecutive outing, only to fall in extratime after allowing their opponent to rally. A pair of Adrian Butters headers put the host ahead 2-0 at halftime. The 28-year-old found the back of the net powerfully in the seventh minute off a corner kick and then beat goalkeeper Andre Blake from a free kick in the 30th minute.
The Reggae Boyz, however, dug deep and surged on the front foot, Je-Vaughn Watson halved the deficit in the 63rd minute from a throw-in deep in the attacking third, but Guyana goalkeeper Kai McKenzie-Lyle saved Damion Lowe’s penalty kick 13 minutes later.
An error by McKenzie-Lyle, however, allowed Dicoy Williams to level with two minutes left in normal time. Jamaica took its first lead in the 116th minute through Shaun Francis, while Cory Burke netted an insurance goal with his left foot in the 120th minute to seal a memorable victory and eliminate Guyana.
After the final whistle, Guyana head coach Jamaal Shabazz took full responsibility for the loss and confirmed that it was his last game in charge of the Golden Jaguars.
Group 3 (at Bayamon, Puerto Rico)
Curacao (2-0-0, 6 points) will be making its first-ever Gold Cup appearance, finishing atop the Group 3 table after rallying for a 4-2 win over Puerto Rico (0-0-2, 0) at the Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel.
Goals by Hector Ramos (16’) and Michael Ramos (27’) gave Puerto Rico a 2-0 half-time lead, but Rangelo Janga spurred the comeback by halving the deficit in the 69th minute. Leandro Bacuna leveled in the 85th minute with the first of his two goals to send the encounter into extra time.
Caribbean Football Union regulations state that every game must end with a winner, meaning that three points are awarded to a team that wins after 90 minutes, extra time or penalty kicks.
Curacao went ahead in the 97th minute through Felitciano Zschusschen, while Aston Villa’s Bacuna completed the scoreline in the first minute of stoppage time in the second supplemental period.
By virtue of the result, Puerto Rico was eliminated from the competition, but Antigua & Barbuda (1-0-1, 3) remained in contention for a spot in a three-team playoff involving the three best second-place teams that will determine the Caribbean’s fifth-place side. The survivor of that playoff will face Central America’s fifth-place squad for the last available Gold Cup berth.
Group 4 (at Fort-de-France, Martinique)
Martinique (2-0-0, 6) captured the Group 4 title with a 4-0 win over visiting Trinidad & Tobago (1-0-1, 3) in front of 8,500 fans at Stade Pierre Aliker. After a scoreless 90 minutes, the host got extra-time goals from Kevin Parsemain (105’) and Steeven Langil (120’) to emerge with the prize of a fifth trip to the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
T&T sealed one of the three spots available for a playoff to determine the Caribbean’s fifth-place side, which will ultimately meet Central America’s fifth-place squad for the last available Gold Cup berth.
The Soca Warriors, who will open final round play in CONCACAF qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on November 11 against visiting Costa Rica, lost captain and forward Kenwyne Jones in the 15th minute to a lower-right leg injury. He was replaced by Trevin Caesar, but later returned on crutches and will undergo examination back home.
Levi Garcia and Joevin Jones hit the woodwork for the visitor in the first half. Martinique, however, maintained an organized and patient approach that took the encounter into extra time.
Parsemain netted against T&T in the 2012 Caribbean Cup semifinal and repeated that feat in the 105th minute, hitting a low right-footer past goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams.
In the 120th minute, Langil sealed the result with a powerfully hit right-footed effort that beat Williams at his near left post. (CONCACAF)