KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica kicked off their 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup campaign with a 3-2 victory over Honduras inside Kingston’s National Stadium last night.

Dever Orgill netted a first-half brace in the 15th and 41st minutes to give the hosts a 2-0 lead at the interval. However, the Group C top-ranked team halved the deficit eight minutes into the second half through Antony Lozano before Damion Lowe restored Jamaica’s two-goal cushion three minutes later.

In time added, substitute Rubilio Castillo got Honduras’s second, but by then it was too little, too late.

In the curtain raiser El Salvador edged Curacao 1-0 on a Nelson Bonilla’s first-half added time goal.

Jamaica thus jumped to the top of the group on goal difference over EL Salvador, the team they will play in Houston on Friday, as last night’s two losers battle to get back into contention in the tournament.   

It was the first time that the Gold Cup tournament was being held in the Caribbean and 17,874 spectators turned out to witness Jamaica gain the victory, even as they failed to produce any high quality football.

On Sunday, Costa Rica hosted a double header, also a first for Central America, as the regional body attempt to broaden the game in the confederation.

Following Friday’s second group stage matches, the teams will then head to California for the final preliminary games next Tuesday.

The top two teams from each of the four groups advance to the quarter-finals, slated for Philadelphia on June 30.

Ian Burnett