ON A ROLL!
Young Reggae Boyz hunt historic Concacaf U-15 title
JAMAICA’S young Reggae Boyz will be seeking a first-ever Concacaf Boys’ Under-15 title when they meet Puerto Rico in this afternoon’s League B final at Stadion CD Guillermo Trinidad in Aruba. Kick-off is set for 3:00.
On Friday the Jamaicans hammered Trinidad and Tobago 6-2 in the semi-finals at the same venue.
A fourth-consecutive win at the Concacaf championship has taken the young Boyz — who topped Group D in the first round — into uncharted waters. They were fourth in 2023 — an improvement over a group stage exit in 2013 — and finished seventh in 2017.
Group C winners Puerto Rico booked their final spot after beating Guatemala 2-0 in the other semi-final. The Puerto Ricans have conceded just once in their four games.
Andrew Peart, Jamaica Under-15 head coach (Photo: Observer file)
Six different players scored for the Andrew Peart-coached Reggae Boyz team against a Trinidad and Tobago team that did not concede a goal in their previous three games at the championship.
But on Friday, Jamaica raced into a 2-0 lead after just 10 minutes and led 3-0 at half-time on their way to recording their high goals tally in a single game during the championship.
Kenrick Brown got Jamaica off to a fast start when he converted a penalty kick in the eighth minute after Trinidad and Tobago defender Aden Montano was penalised for handling the ball inside his 18-yard box.
Samuel Taylor doubled the advantage in the 10th minute when he fired home after connecting with a cross from Kelvin D Brown.
Another handball infraction from Montano — this time just outside the 18-yard area — on the stroke of half-time in the 35th minute led to the third goal. Kelvin Brown was the scorer, curling a free kick past the diving Levi Williams in the Trinidad and Tobago goal.
After Reagan Rowe rattled Jamaica’s crossbar with a ferocious shot early in the second half, Trinidad and Tobago pulled a goal back when Adasa Richardson’s spectacular back heel in the 41st minute beat goalkeeper Jaheim Grey.
Davion Clarke restored Jamaica’s three-goal advantage when he scored in the 50th minute. Kelvin D Brown added to his earlier assist when he notched the team’s fifth goal in the 54th minute.
A header in the 62nd minute saw Trinidad and Tobago get a second goal. But Jamaica responded when Carlondo Morris, who came off the bench to replace Kelvin Brown, got up after he was fouled by goalkeeper Williams to bury a penalty kick in the 70th minute.
