TEXAS, United States, (CMC) – ISMAEL Diaz netted a first half hat-trick as Panama trounced Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz 4-1 on Tuesday to eliminate them from the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Playing at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, Diaz scored in the fourth, 17th and 45th minutes to put his side in a dominant position before Tomas Rodriguez sealed the deal with a strike in the 89th minute.
Amarai’i Bell scored Jamaica’s lone goal in the 27th minute, with the result relegating the Reggae Boyz to third in the group and their earliest exit from the tournament since 2009.

Needing a win to secure a top two finish and advance to the next round, Jamaica got off to a nightmare start when Diaz put Panama ahead after just four minutes with his left-footed shot from just on the edge of the 18-yard box deflecting off Jamaica’s Leon Bailey and giving goalkeeper Andre Blake no chance.

Diaz doubled the lead moments later when he powered the ball under the body of Blake from just inside the 18-yard box.
Bell pulled one back for the Jamaicans when he headed home a cross from Dexter Lembikisa, but Panama restored their two-goal advantage on the stroke of half time when Kasey Palmer pulled down a Panama player in the box and Diaz scored from the penalty spot.

Jamaica looked much better going forward in the second half, but could not convert any of their scoring chances.
They were made to pay when Rodriques scored into an undefended goal with all 11 Jamaican players in the Panama half.