Caption: T&T midfielder Tyrese Spicer (13) gets a heavy challenge from Shurandy Sambo (2) and Jeremy Antonisse (11)
Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz began the final round of World Cup Qualifiers in winning fashion by blanking Bermuda 4-0, but Trinidad and Tobago were forced to share the spoils with Curacao after the two sides played to a hard-fought, goalless draw on Friday.
Playing at the Bermuda National Sports Centre, it didn’t take long for Jamaica to go into the lead with Damion Lowe finding the back of the net in just the sixth minute from the centre of the box.
Renaldo Cephas then doubled the lead for the Reggae Boyz in the 26th minute with a finish to the bottom right corner after receiving a headed pass from Greg Leigh.
Jamaica then scored two more goals in the second half, courtesy of strikes from Kasey Palmer and Shamar Nicholson.
Palmer struck in the 58th minute with his shot from just outside the box, while Nicholson completed the rout in the 90th minute with a header following a corner kick.
With the victory, Jamaica assumes top spot in Group B on three points.
T&T and Curacao, the other two sides in Group B, could not be separated in their match at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
Tyrese Spicer had the first chance to put T&T ahead in the 17th minute, but his header from the centre of the box was saved by Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room.
Roshon van Eijma then came close to placing the visitors in the lead in the 38th minute, but his headed finish to the top right corner was met by a diving save from T&T’s goalkeeper Denzil Smith.
T&T opened the second half, creating danger in attack, but Curaçao’s backline and interventions from Room kept the match scoreless.
In the 55th minute, a shot from Dante Sealy from long range was saved by Room, before Juninho Bacuna cleared a header from Andre Rampersad off the goal line one minute later.
Room pulled off two more important saves, first stopping a powerful hit from Spicer and then denying a shot from Levi García.
Curaçao missed a golden opportunity to grab a late winner, but Tyrese Noslin sent his right-footed shot just wide of the far post in the 89th minute.
T&T will face Jamaica on Tuesday, while Curaçao and Bermuda will clash.
In other results, Haiti and Honduras drew 0-0 and Nicaragua and Costa Rica played to a 1-1 draw. (CMC)
