Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz and Mexico were forced to settle for a share of the spoils after a feisty 1-1 draw in group A of the Concacaf Nations League Group A on Tuesday at the National Stadium.
The Mexicans began the game in an enterprising fashion and almost took the lead minutes after the kick-off. A sweeping attacking move ended with Santiago Gimenez being brilliantly thwarted by Jamaica custodian Andre Blake who snuffed out the 2nd-minute attempt no more than four yards away from goal.
It was the Jamaicans who, however, took the lead, against the run of play, through a sweeping move of their own, punctuated in the 7th minute by a bullet-header from Leon Bailey, who was picked out in the box by Shamar Nicholson.
Nicholson almost got on the scoresheet himself five minutes later but his towering header, after rising from a corner, crashed on to to the top of the crossbar.
After continuing to dominate the majority of the play, the visitors seemed set to end the half empty-handed but got some reward for their enterprise in time added on.
Luis Romo brought the team back on level terms after beating the Jamaican backline to a ball whipped into the area and heading past Blake just before the whistle.
In an entertaining second half, Nicholson almost restored the Jamaican's lead but saw his chip to goal cleared off the line by two Mexican defenders after successfully dinking the ball over the head of onrushing Mexican keeper Rodolfo Cota, after being played through on goal by Bailey.
The visitors, however, had plenty of attempts of their own, and Blake was kept busy, most notably diving full stretch to parry a fierce drive on goal from livewire Diego Lanez in the 68th minute.
With the result the Jamaicans remain at the top of the group on 5 points, while Mexico picks up their first point of the competition, joining Suriname on 1.
2019 World Championship silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts produced a 14.35m effort to win the triple jump at the Paavo Nurmi Games, at the Paavo Nurmi Stadium in Turku, Finland, on Tuesday.
Ricketts, who has a season’s best of 14.43m, finished ahead of Slovenia’s Neja Filipic (14.26m) and the USA’s Tori Franklin (14.05m) at the meet, which is a part of the World Athletics Continental Tour-Gold.
Also in action was 2019 World Champion and current world leader in the Men’s javelin, Anderson Peters of Grenada. He produced a distance of 86.60m for third in the event behind Indian Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra who, in his first competition of the season, threw a personal best and national record 89.30 to finish second. Finland’s Oliver Helander threw a personal best 89.83m for the win.
Jamaican Olympic finalist Britany Anderson had to settle for second in the 100m hurdles in 12.59 after being narrowly out-dipped at the finish line by Nigeria’s reigning Commonwealth Games Champion Tobi Amusan (12.57). Nadine Visser of the Netherlands was third in 12.72.
The West Indies entered their three-match One-Day International series against Pakistan on a high after a 3-0 away series sweep of the Netherlands just a few days before.
What a difference a week makes as the regional side are now reeling from suffering their own 0-3 sweep at the hands of the Pakistanis after a 53-run loss in Sunday’s third ODI in Multan.
West Indies ODI and T20I captain Nicholas Pooran believes there are some positives his team can take from the series despite the result.
“One positive from this series is definitely character. The character shown by the players, especially coming out here in 45-degree temperature. A lot of guys got sick as well and we kept fighting,” Pooran said in an interview after the third game.
“We said at the start of this series that we’re going to stick together, no matter the result we’re going to stick together and that’s what happened,” he added.
As is almost always the case when the Windies suffer a series defeat, fans will be frustrated but Pooran promises a change in fortunes sooner than later for the team.
“A lot of people will be upset that we lost and bash us but I feel like we got really close as a team. It’s my second tour as captain and I felt like we were actually really building a family here and that’s a positive,” he said.
“Despite the result, I think we had a good showing, especially in the first game. Looking forward, we’re definitely going to be winning some games and hopefully make the fans proud,” he added.
Before the third ODI, Pooran had bowled only two deliveries in his previous 42 ODIs as he spent the majority of those as the wicket-keeper.
He took 4-48 from his 10 overs on Sunday and said we may see more of him bowling his off-spin in the future if the situation presents itself.
“For sure. Today was amazing for me and the guys in the dressing room know I’m going to talk a lot about it. I’m not going to get overconfident but, hopefully, there are two left-handers in the next series so I can bowl as well,” he said.
Jamaican sprinter Ackeem Blake became the second Jamaican, alongside Oblique Seville, to dip below 10 seconds in the 100m this season when he did so at the New York Grand Prix at the Icahn Stadium on Sunday.
The former national Under-18 100m champion finished second in a personal best 9.95 seconds in a race won by 2019 World Champion Christian Coleman (9.92) of the USA. Coleman’s US teammate Marvin Bracy was third in 10.03.
Blake, whose personal best before this season was 10.35, actually had a 9.92 performance, at the Music City Track Festival earlier this month, overturned after the race because of an apparent false start.
Elsewhere, former Calabar standout Javon Francis ran 45.73 to finish second in the 400m behind the USA’s Tyler Terry (45.70). South Africa’s Derrick Mokaleng was third in 46.55.
Jordan Scott did a season-best 16.69 for third in the triple jump behind Americans Donald Scott (16.81) and Will Claye (16.75).
On the women’s side, Bahamian Tynia Gaither ran 22.66 for third in the 200m behind the American pair of Sha’Carri Richardson (22.38) and Tamara Clark (22.62).
Shiann Salmon ran 55.28 for third in the 400m hurdles behind Panama’s Gianna Woodruff (54.35) and Colombia’s Melissa Gonzalez (54.98).
2019 World Championships silver medalist Danniel Thomas-Dodd was second in the shot put, with 18.40m, behind the USA’s Jessica Ramsey (18.90m). Ramsey’s countrywoman Raven Saunders threw 17.92m for third.
The West Indies suffered a 0-3 series sweep at the hands of Pakistan after a 53-run loss in the third and final One-Day International at Multan on Sunday.
Pakistan, after winning the toss and batting first, posted a score of 269-9 off their 50 overs thanks to a top score of 86 off 78 balls from all-rounder Shadab Khan. His knock included four fours and three sixes.
Opener Imam-ul-Haq provided support with a 68-ball 62, his seventh consecutive score of at least 50 in ODIs.
West Indies Captain Nicholas Pooran, usually a wicket-keeper, was the star of the show with the ball taking 4-48 off his 10 overs. Returning all-rounder Keemo Paul took 57 off nine overs.
Akeal Hosein then top-scored for the tourists with a brilliant 60 off 37 balls including two fours and six sixes but it wasn’t enough as the Windies ended up being bowled out for 216 in just 37.2 overs.
Keacy Carty (33) and Shai Hope (21) also made meaningful contributions with the bat against 4-62 from Shadab Khan and two wickets apiece from Mohammad Nawaz and Hasan Ali.
Khan was voted man of the match while ul-Haq took home man of the series.
Jamaica's young Reggae Boyz have been drawn in Group H of the Concacaf U20 Championship, which will take place in Honduras later this month.
The fixture will see the team play Costa Rica on June 18, hosts Honduras on June 20, and Antigua and Barbuda on June 22 in the preliminary round.
After Group Stage play the top three teams in each of the groups will advance to the Round of 16, joining the four CMU20C Qualifiers winners (qualifiers between the lowest-ranked nations took place in November 2021).
The 16-team Knockout Stage will begin with the Round of 16 (June 25-26), followed by the Quarterfinals (June 29), Semifinals (July 1), and Final (July 3).
The top four teams will qualify for the FIFA Men’s U-20 World Cup in Indonesia in 2023. Jamaica qualified for the FIFA World U20 Championship in 2001.
Jamaica U-20 squad
West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran admits the team’s death bowling remains an area of concern following a 120-run defeat and 2-0 series loss to Pakistan in the second game.
Spinner Akeal Hosain and pace bowler Alzarri Josephs both had strong performances, claiming figures of 3 for 52 and 2 for 33 respectively, and the Windies bowling line-up was dominant in patches. Even so, the last two overs of the innings went for a damaging 27 runs as Pakistan put on 275.
In the previous match, the hosts took 44 from the last four to secure a narrow five-wicket win.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a problem, but we definitely need to review it and keep working. We know that has been a problem for us in the last couple of months, last couple years actually,” Pooran said, following the match.
“It's a new team as well, the guys are young and inexperienced. We are in the rebuilding stages and obviously, we can’t get everything right and it (death bowling) is hurting us but having said that we’ll learn from this experience and hopefully we get better with every game we play,” he added.
The West Indies will face Pakistan in the third and final One Day International (ODI) on Sunday.
Charlotte FC gained an important three points in the MLS on Saturday, earning a 2-0 win at home to New York RB.
Ben Bender and Derrick Jones scored in respective periods of injury time to move Charlotte within the Eastern Conference's playoff spots.
The home side needed a slice of fortune to take the lead in the fourth minute of first-half injury time, despite dominating possession in the opening half.
Doing well to bring Christian Ortiz's overhit pass under control, Bender's shot from the edge of the penalty deflected off Thomas Edwards and in, wrong-footing Carlos Coronel in the NYRB goal.
Derrick Jones doubled the margin in the closing stages with a relatively simple tap-in, moving Charlotte to sixth in the Eastern Conference, four points from NYRB in fourth.
Nashville remained in sixth in the Western Conference meanwhile, playing out a 0-0 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes.
Good chances fell to Hany Mukhtar and CJ Sapong but the home side were denied by James Marcinkowski, who had a stellar performance in the Earthquakes' goal.
The draw puts Nashville on 23 points, six points from Western Conference-leading Los Angeles FC.
St. Lucian Texas Sophomore, Julien Alfred, delivered on the promise she’s shown all season to win the Women’s 100m on Saturday’s final day of the 2022 NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene.
Alfred, who ran 10.90 to win her semi-final on Thursday, sped to 11.02 to finish ahead of Jamaican Oregon senior Kemba Nelson who ran the same time, and Kentucky’s Abby Steiner (11.08).
Jamaican record holder Lamara Distin of Texas A&M produced a clearance of 1.95m to win the high jump over Abigail Kwarteng of Middle Tennessee State (1.94m) and South Carolina’s Rachel Glenn (1.86m).
Jamaican Texas A&M Sophomore and former Hydel standout Charokee Young ran 50.65 for second in the 400m behind Florida’s Talitha Diggs who ran a personal best 49.99 for victory. Texas’ Kennedy Simon was third in 50.69.
First-string Reggae Boyz goalkeeper Andre Blake has returned to the team’s line-up ahead of Tuesday’s Concacaf Nation’s League fixture against Mexico at the National Stadium.
The 31-year-old shot-stopper, who has racked up 68 international appearances for Jamaica, pulled out of the team suddenly ahead of last week’s fixture against Suriname. The goalkeeper also missed the second-leg match between the teams earlier this week.
The custodian reportedly suffered an undisclosed injury but unconfirmed reports also suggest the issue also stemmed from the team’s issues with former JFF general secretary Dalton Wint, who resigned last week. Blake’s return to the squad will come at a good time following an injury to stand-in goalkeeper Amal Knight who deputised for Blake for both matches.
Two new players have been added to the 23-man squad ahead of the fixture, with goalkeeper Jahmali Waite and defender Jordan Scarlett joining the team.
Knight and defender Richard King have been ruled out of the match due to injury.
The Reggae Boyz, who currently lead zone A with 4 points, after two matches, ahead of Suriname on 1. Mexico are yet to play a match in the group.
Mississippi State’s Jamaican Junior Navasky Anderson finished second in the Men’s 800m at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on Friday and made history in the process.
The former St Jago man broke Seymour Newman’s 45-year-old national record of 1:45.21 with a 1:45.02 effort to finish second behind Texas Tech’s Moad Zahavi who ran 1:44.49 for victory. Texas A&M’s Brandon Miller finished just behind Anderson in third with 1:45.09.
Anderson also achieved the World Championship qualifying standard of 1:45.20 with his performance.
In an interview with Sportsmax.TV after achieving a then-personal best 1:45.89 last month, Anderson spoke about putting Jamaican 800m running on the map and, one day, breaking Newman’s national record which was set in 1977 in Helsinki.
“My job here is just now getting started,” he said.
“My goal is not only to be the best 800m runner from Jamaica but also to bring the awareness and the spotlight to the younger generation letting them know that we can be dominant in the 800m as well,” Anderson added.
The former Essex Community College man can now say he's achieved one of those goals.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors secured a 2-0 win over St. Vincent & the Grenadines as Group C action continued in the Concacaf Nations League B at the Arnos Vale Stadium on Friday.
Defender Neveal Hackshaw, who represents USL Championship club Indy Eleven, opened the scoring in the 17th minute before AEK Athens winger Levi Garcia got the second and final goal for T&T.
Trinidad and Tobago are now second in Group C with six points after three games, one behind Nicaragua who moved to seven points after securing a 2-0 win over the Bahamas at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in Nassau.
The West Indies now find themselves facing an unassailable 0-2 deficit after suffering a crushing 120-run defeat to Pakistan in their second of three One-Day Internationals in Multan on Friday.
The hosts set the Windies a target of 276 after winning the toss and batting first.
Captain Babar Azam was the catalyst as he got his sixth consecutive score of 50 or more in ODIs with a 93-ball 77, including five fours and one six.
Imam-ul-Haq provided good support with a run-a-ball 72, including six fours.
Alzarri Joseph produced an excellent spell going for just 33 in his 10 overs while picking up two wickets. Akeal Hosein was also brilliant with 3-52 off his 10 overs.
The Windies reply got off to a bad start with Shai Hope, who got 127 not out in the previous game, being dismissed in the first over for just four.
Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks then provided the innings with some stability reaching 71-1 before Mayers was dismissed for 33 at the end of the 10th over.
Brandon King fell shortly after for a duck to leave the Windies 72-3 after 10.4 overs.
After Brooks fell for 42, in the 19th over, with the score on 102, the West Indies lost their final six wickets for just 52 runs to be bundled out for 155.
Mohammad Nawaz produced a game-changing spell for the hosts with 4-19 from his 10 overs while Mohammad Wasim Jr supported well with 3-34 from 4.2 overs.
The third and final ODI will take place on Sunday.
Texas duo Julien Alfred and Kevona Davis as well as Syracuse’s Joella Lloyd and Oregon’s Kemba Nelson will all be present in Saturday’s 100m final, at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships, after advancing from the semi-finals at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on Thursday.
Alfred, the St. Lucian national record holder in the event, won her semi-final in 10.90 to be the joint-fastest qualifier to the final. Nelson also dipped below 11 seconds, running 10.97 to win her semi-final.
Jamaica’s Davis finished third in her semi-final with a time of 11.11 to advance while the Antiguan Lloyd finished second in her semi with 11.08. Davis and Lloyd also advanced in the 200m with times of 22.38 and 22.66, respectively.
The Jamaican pair of Stacey Ann Williams of Texas and Charokee Young of Texas A&M will both be in the 400m final. Williams ran 50.18 to finish second in her semi-final while Young won hers in a time of 50.46.
Texas Tech’s Jamaican junior Demisha Roswell ran 12.93 to finish second in her semi-final of the 100m hurdles and progress.
Texas senior and Trinidad and Tobago Olympian Tyra Gittens jumped 6.57m for third in the long jump behind Florida’s Jasmine Moore (6.72m) and Texas A&M’s Deborah Acquah (6.60m).
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
