In an exhilarating CONCACAF Nations League semi-final on the AT&T Stadium in Texas on Thursday, Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz confronted heartbreak as they conceded a last-minute objective and in the end misplaced 1-3 in additional time to hosts United States.
Jamaica began robust, scoring within the first minute of play when Greg Leigh discovered the web with a header, giving them an early lead. Nonetheless, a late personal objective by Cory Burke introduced the match to a stunning 1-1 draw simply earlier than full-time.
In additional time, two targets from Haji Wright sealed the victory for the US, securing their spot in Sunday’s closing.
Absence of key attacking gamers
Regardless of the absence of key attacking gamers like Leon Bailey, Demarai Grey, Shamar Nicholson, and Michail Antonio, the Reggae Boyz displayed commendable effort all through the match. Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson praised his gamers’ execution and tactical self-discipline regardless of the disappointing final result.
Hallgrimsson expressed his admiration for his staff, stating, “I believed the execution from the blokes, given the absentees, was sensible. Defensively they have been completely spot on. But it surely actually, actually hurts for the blokes. Doing so nicely for 90 minutes and conceding a objective with the final contact of the sport.”
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All through the match, the US dominated possession, however Jamaica’s disciplined protection saved them at bay for lengthy intervals. Regardless of good alternatives for the US, together with probabilities for Christian Pulisic and Malik Tillman, Jamaica remained resilient.
Late equalizer
Reflecting on the late equalizer, Hallgrimsson highlighted the frustration of conceding a objective after virtually securing victory, stating, “I actually really feel for them however I wish to give them loads of credit score for this sport, towards US at residence and lacking so many gamers.”
United States’ successful coach Gregg Berhalter acknowledged the problem posed by Jamaica’s protection, describing the late equalizing objective as a “miracle,” emphasizing the resilience required to safe victory towards a decided opponent.
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In Thursday’s different semi-final, regional kingpins Mexico blanked Panama 3-0 to guide the opposite closing spot.
