Playing one short for nearly 60 minutes dug a deeper hole for Jamaica’s Under-17 Reggae Boyz as they were outclassed 4-0 by their USA counterparts in a one-sided friendly match at Winchester Park yesterday.

Beating Jamaica’s goalkeeper were George Acosta (sixth minute), Andrew Carleton (46th, 53rd) and Bryan Reynolds Jnr (87th).

Already chasing the game being dictated by a fitter, technically and tactically superior USA team, Jamaica shot themselves in the foot when central defender Jamoi Topey picked up a second yellow card for a senseless tackle on Christopher Glaster, far from his goal in 34th minute.

With his sending off the Young Boyz were put to the sword.

But before that, the USA slipped into the driver’s seat very early, threatening in the second minute when Joshua Sergent set up Ayomide Akinola who unleashed from six yards, but goalkeeper Tajay Griffiths was down early to smother.

The Americans, as they did in the first game of the two-match friendly series, tore into the Jamaican fabric by spreading them thin with a basic, but aggressive passing game.

In the opening contest of the two-match friendly series at Stadium East field on Wednesday, the USA won 3-0.

Forced into conceding a free kick in a dangerous area as the Jamaicans desperately defended their goal yesterday, the USA tested Griffiths yet again.

This time the Jamaican custodian, put to the grind the first minute on the job and throughout the day’s work, rose high for a one-handed save to deny Carleton, whose 25-yard free kick appeared certain to go in.

And what seemed predestined, the visitors got their opening goal when Acosta found unbelievable time to caress the ball before hitting home as Jamaica’s defenders were still contemplating a response.

The home team’s first serious offensive move came in the 14th minute when Kaheem Parris, Renato Campbell and Raewin Senior combined in an effort to unlock a tight USA defence, but the final effort by Campbell rolled wide.

In the 38th minute, Parris, looking a shadow of himself in both games, sparked to life by working his way inside the USA’s defensive wall on a promising, mazy, diagonal run, but when a pass was required he went fully solo and offered a tame effort in the end.

But from an offensive point of view, it was the USA who stood on top — for the entire contest.

They scored their second on the brink of half-time when Carleton, seemingly with all the time in the world, took the ball delightfully on his chest and volleyed home from the edge of the penalty box, leaving Griffiths clueless.

The American was again on hand to capitalise on a back-pedalling Boyz defence for his second of the evening.

And it was all over as a contest when Reynolds Jnr ran into an open left channel to receive a right-side cross, blasting home from 16 yards.

The USA and Jamaica are using these games as part of their preparation for the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship to be staged in Panama from April 21 to May 7, next year.

The four top finishers in the continental play-offs will book places in the FIFA Under-17 World Cup to be held in India next August.

Jamaica are said to be due for another set of friendly games at the end of November, and it is believed that they will face another high-power CONCACAF opponent.

— Sean Williams