TORONTO, Canada (CMC) – Ten-man Jamaica survived a late assault from El Salvador to carve out a 1-0 victory in their final preliminary game of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and advance to the second round here Tuesday.Garath McCleary’s 72nd goal was the difference between the two teams in the opening game of the double-header at the BMO Field, but the Reggae Boyz lost striker Darren Mattocks ten minutes later for a second bookable offence.
Jamaica then produced a sterling performance to hold off the Central American side and come away with the victory, which put them on top of Group B on seven points.
“I trusted my team and we have a good team. Everybody fights together,” head coach Winfried Schafer told a media conference afterward.
“I told them yesterday (Monday), ‘all for one’ and that is our goal. I am very happy and very proud of my team, not only at Copa America but here is the same.”
Jamaica’s win came at a cost, however. They lost both defender Jermaine Taylor and goalkeeper Dwayne Miller to injury in the first half, with Miller having to be taken to hospital after going down under a challenge in his area in the 24th minute.
With Taylor stretchered off as early as the ninth minute, Jamaica found themselves under pressure, with El Salvador testing their defence on a couple of occasions.
Captain Andres Flores played through Pablo Punyed in the 13th minute but the 25-year-old could only blast over the crossbar after meeting the pass on the full.
Jamaica, too, came close in the 30th minute when Kemar Lawrence fired in a 25-yard free kick which forced a low, diving save out of goalkeeper Derby Carillo.
Jobi McAnuff pounced on the rebound but could only skim his shot across the face of goal.
With the scores level at nil-all at halftime, Jamaica came under pressure early in the second half as the Salvadorians pressed, and substitute goalkeeper Ryan Thompson kept them in the game with two fine saves.
In the 58th minute, he first saved from Punyed’s goal-bound left-footed drive from the edge of the box and followed up with a brilliant block when the enterprising Flores pounced with a sharp shot off the rebound.
Against the run of play, Jamaica took the lead. Mattocks collected the ball down the right in the area and squared for the advancing Jobi McAnuff whose firm volleyball was palmed away.
However, the ball fell to McCleary and the Reading FC winger calmly side-footed from close range.
El Salvador then virtually camped out in Jamaica’s half, especially after Mattocks was sent off, but the Caribbean champions stood firm.