Curacao 0, Jamaica 2 | 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Match Recap

Colin Stephenson

Two weeks after they were upset in the championship match of the Caribbean Cup, Jamaica got some revenge with a pair of second-half goals to defeat Curacao in their rematch in the opening game of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Sunday afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

After Jamaican goalkeeper Andre Blake kept his side in the game with several super saves, Romario Williams opened the scoring with a bad-angle shot inside the near post in the 58th minute and substitute Darren Mattocks added a second goal with a cracking left-footed volley in the 73rd. Blake, who plays for Philadelphia Union in MLS, made six saves for the Reggae Boyz, many of them outstanding.

Captain Andre Blake leads Jamaica in revenge win vs. Curacao

Goals

58' – JAM – Romario Williams
73' – JAM – Darren Mattocks
CONCACAF Man of the Match: Andre Blake (Jamaica)

Lineups

Curacao (4-2-3-1, left to right): #1 Eloy Room – #17 Gillian Justiana, #5 Quentin Jakoba, #4 Darryl Lachman, #3 Cuco Martina – #7 Lleandro Bacuna, #2 Dustley Mulder (#16 Michael Maria, 72') – #18 Elson Hooi (Felitciano Zschusschen, 85'), #11 Gevaro Nepomuceno, #8 Jarchinio Antonia (#9 Gino van Kessel, 66') – # 19 Rangelo Janga

Jamaica (4-2-3-1, left to right): #1 Andre Blake – #20 Kemar Lawrence, #21 Jermaine Taylor, #3 Damion Lowe, #5 Alvas Powell (#11 Cory Burke, 83') – #15 Je-Vaughn Watson, #17 Kevon Lambert – #18 Owayne Gordon, #16 Jermaine Johnson (#10 Darren Mattocks, 59'), #8 Oniel Fisher – #22 Romario Williams (#12 Michael Binns, 74')

Three Things

THE SAVIOR: In a game they were supposed to win easily, Jamaica needed their goalkeeper and captain, Andre Blake, to make enough saves to keep them in the game until they finally could get a couple decent scoring chances against upstart Curacao. Blake, the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2016, made six saves in total, but at least three were truly outstanding – and two of those came when the game was still scoreless.
A GOAL IS WORTH A FEW EXTRA MINUTES: In the 57th minute, as Jamaica was preparing to make its first substitution of the game, the fourth official had Romario Williams' No. 22 on the board, as the Charleston Battery striker was set to come off. Then, before play could be stopped, Williams scored the game's first game. Jamaica coach Theodore Whitmore made the substitution at the ensuing kickoff, but he took off veteran Jermaine Johnson, instead. Williams came off in the 74th minute, replaced by Michael Binns.
MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE STARTED HIM: Portland Timbers man Darren Mattocks couldn't have been happy to have started the game on the bench, while 37-year-old Jermaine Johnson and 22-year-old Romario Williams, on loan from Atlanta United to the Charleston Battery, started ahead of him. A nice finish for the Reggae Boyz' second goal may just get him in the starting XI for Thursday's showdown with Mexico.