Warner Brown gets brace as Reggae Boyz beat Guatemala in World Cup qualifer
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Warner Brown’s first brace in national colours carried Jamaica to a comfortable 3-0 win over Guatemala in their Concacaf World Cup second round Zone E game at the National Stadium on Tuesday.
Jamaica finished the second round as Zone E leaders with a perfect record of four wins as Guatemala who also made progress to the third round, also advanced as runners-up with nine points.
Brown, who has now scored four goals for the Reggae Boyz, got one in either half after Jonathon Russell had given the home team the lead with his third goal.
After taking over the game midway the first half, Jamaica took the lead in the 26th minute when Russell headed a perfectly weighted cross from Leon Bailey past goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen.
Brown made it 2-0 in the 37th minute when Hagen was equal to a penalty from Bailey but could only knock the ball down as the Arnett Gardens striker was on it in a flash and powered it into the goal.
Costa Rican referee David Gomez had awarded the penalty after Guatemalan defender Erick Lemus hacked down Demarai Gray just inside the 18-yard box.
Brown, who was denied a second goal by a brilliant stop by Hagen in the 68th minute, got his revenge in the 73rd minute when he got to a corner taken by Gray at the near left left, guiding the ball past the custodian and two defenders and into the goal.
– Paul Reid
