Tue | Nov 19, 2024

No comeback story

Reggae Boyz booted from Nations League quarters

Published:Tuesday | November 19, 2024 | 12:08 AM
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United States’ Joe Scally (right) attempts to make a pass as he is challenged by Jamaica’s Demarai Gray during a CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final second-leg football match at CityPark Stadium St Louis, Missouri yesterday.
AP
United States’ Joe Scally (right) attempts to make a pass as he is challenged by Jamaica’s Demarai Gray during a CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final second-leg football match at CityPark Stadium St Louis, Missouri yesterday.
Jamaica’s Leon Bailey (right) tries to get by the United States’ Antonee Robinson (centre), as the latter’s teammate Tim Weah looks on during a Concacaf Nations League quarter-final second-leg football match at the CityPark Stadium in St Louis, Misso
AP
Jamaica’s Leon Bailey (right) tries to get by the United States’ Antonee Robinson (centre), as the latter’s teammate Tim Weah looks on during a Concacaf Nations League quarter-final second-leg football match at the CityPark Stadium in St Louis, Missouri yesterday.
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ST LOUIS (AP):

CHRISTIAN PULISIC scored twice in the first half, Tim Weah got a goal in his return to the US national team from a red card and the Americans beat Jamaica 4-2 on last night for a 5-2 aggregate win in their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal.

Playing their first competitive matches under coach Mauricio Pochettino, the United States advanced to a semifinal on March 20 at Inglewood, California. The Americans won the first three editions of the tournament.

The US also qualified for next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, while Jamaica will have to play a qualifier.

Pulisic put the US ahead in the 13th minute when he ran onto a long looping pass from Weston McKennie and kicked the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Andre Blake.

Pulisic doubled the lead off a pass from McKennie that Tanner Tessmann dummied in the 33rd minute. Pulisic’s shot deflected in off Di’Shon Bernard for his 33rd international goal.

Ricardo Pepi, who scored off a Pulisic pass in the opening leg in Kingston on Thursday, boosted the lead to 3-0 in the 42nd with his 13th goal, a right-foot shot from just outside the penalty area.

Demarai Gray scored the first of his two goals for Jamaica in the 53rd and Weah, who hit the post in the fourth minute, put the US ahead 4-1 in the 56th when he settled a pass from Yunus Musah and sent a shot just under the crossbar for his seventh goal.

Gray got his second goal in the 68th.

Weah started in place of injured Johnny Cardoso after completing a two-game suspension for a red card against Panama in the Copa America last summer. That was the only change made by Pochettino from the first leg.

Defender Tim Ream, at 37 the oldest player on the roster, captained the Americans in his hometown of St Louis.

The Jamaicans had hoped for a comeback story similar to the one they had at this stage against Canada last year. The Jamaicans had lost 2-1 in the first-leg of the quarter-finals to Canada before going away to win 3-2 in dramatic fashion.