Match Report: Honduras, Jamaica draw 2-2
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz brought the curtains down on their Brazil 2014 World Cup campaign with a 2-2 draw with Honduras at the National Stadium in Kingston Tuesday night.
Honduras meantime confirmed their place as one of their automatic qualifiers from CONCACAF for the Brazil World Cup with 15 points.
Jamaica finished at the bottom of the six-nation qualifiers with five points.
The USA, who had booked their spot with two games remaining, defeated Panama 3-2 in their final match to end the tournament on 22 points. Costa Rica, who also booked their spot early, edged Mexico 2-1 to finish on 18 points.
Mexico booked the fourth-place play-off spot having gathered 11 points, while Panama (eight) join Jamaica as the country failing to progress to the game’s showpiece event.
At the National Stadium and in front of an estimated 4,000 die-heart Jamaica supporters, Honduras made a lightning start when Carlo Costly put his country ahead in the first minute after Jamaica failed to mop-up from a corner.
The Boyz got back on level terms in what appeared less than a heartbeat when Deshorn Brown squeezed the ball in at the near post in minute number three.
Jobi McAnuff was unlucky as his edge-of-box looper went marginally high in the 14th minute.
Honduras, who only needed a point from the encounter to book their spot to Brazil 2014, were leaving nothing to chance and regained the lead when Maynar Figueroa beat goalkeeper Duwayne Kerr with a 25-yard freekick in the 33rd minute.
Left-back Demar Phillips, who is always an offensive threat for Jamaica, watched his long-range 38th-minute free-kick crash onto the crossbar.
Quiet up to that point, Jermaine ‘Tuffy’ Anderson exploded in the 58th minute with a deft control, turn and shot that Honduras goalkeeper Noel Bonilla could not hold on to.
Under the resulting pressure a Honduran player handled the ball in the area and Jamaica were awarded a penalty, which captain Rodolph Austin cooly put away.
Jamaica – 2
Brown (3rd), Austin – penalty (58th)
Honduras – 2
Costly (1st), Figueroa (33rd)
Teams:
Jamaica — Duwayne Kerr, Wes Morgan, Adrian Mariappa, Demar Phillips, Lloyd Doyley (, Alvas Powell 58th), Rodolph Austin, Je-Vaughn Watson, Jobi McAnuff, Darren Mattocks (Theo Robinson 62nd), Deshorn Brown (Ryan Johnson 77th), and Jermaine Anderson.
Subs not used: Richard McCallumn, Gariece McCallum, Marvin Elliott, Kemar Lawrence, Romario Campbell, Jermaine Johnson, Jermaine Taylor, Shaun Cummings.
Booked: Austin (31th), Phillips (36th), Watson (83rd)
Honduras — Noel Bonilla, Victor Blanco, Maynor Figueroa, Brayan Beckeles, Emilio Giron, Jorge Juarez, Luis Garrido, Roger Espinoza (Arnold Peralta 89th), Oscar Ramirez, Carlo Costly (Jerry Bengston 84th) and Andy Rodriguez (Wilson Palacios 64th).
Subs not used: Kevin Kirckonnel, Juan Carlos Garciam Johnny Ucles, Donis Izaguirre, Juan Pablo Montes, Marvin Chavez, Edgardo Reyez, Ruben Colon, Jerry Palacios.
Booked: Beckeles (26th), Bonilla (90+)
Referee: Mark Geiger (USA)
Assistants: Mark Hurd (USA), Joe Fletcher (Canada)
Fourth Official: Silviu Petrescu
— Sean Williams