ST LOUIS – Despite a fighting second half performance that featured a brace from Demarai Gray, Jamaica failed to rally past a solid United States team and were knocked out of the Concacaf Nations League after losing their second leg 4-2 in the United States on Monday.
The Reggae Boyz needed to win after losing the first leg 1-0, but conceded three first half goals to put themselves on the backfoot at City Park.
Christian Pulisic put the USA ahead in the 13th minute when he ran onto a long, looping pass from Weston McKennie and one-timed the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Andre Blake.
The home side then made it 2-0 when Pulisic’s shot deflected in off Jamaica’s Di’Shon Bernard in the 33rd minute.
Ricardo Pepi increased the lead to 3-0 in the 42nd minute with his 13th goal, a right-footed shot for his first international goal from outside the penalty area.
However, Gray scored the first of his two goals for Jamaica with a volley past goalkeeper Matt Turner in the 53rd minute, before Tim Weah put the USA ahead 4-1 in the 56th when he settled a pass from Yunus Musah and sent a shot just under the crossbar.
Gray pulled one back for Jamaica in the 68th minute after Turner parried Renaldo Cephas’ initial shot.
Meanwhile, 10-man Panama reached the semifinals, beating Costa Rica 3-2 on aggregate after a 2-2 draw in Panama City.
César Blackman scored in the 13th minute and José Rodríguez in the third minute of first-half stoppage time for the winners, but Panama finished a man short after Fidel Escobar’s 80th-minute red card.
Los Ticos got goals from Alejandro Bran in the 24th and Adrián Martínez in the 72nd minutes.
CMC
