Panama upset 10-man Reggae Boyz

KINGSTON: An injury-time goal from Julio Valdese gave Panama a 2-1 upset win over Jamaica in the CONCACAF World Cup football qualifying match on Saturday. Panama took the lead in the third minute through Roberto Brown but substitute Damani Ralph struck back in the 77th for the hosts. By then, Jamaica had played for 40 minutes with ten men, after defender Ian Goodison was shown the red card for bringing down Valdese. Valdese, scorer of his team’s only goal in the 2-1 loss to El Salvador in their opening match, popped up in the second minute of injury time to give Panama its third straight win over the Reggae Boyz.

The victory put the Panamanians tied for second place in Group “A” with three points, one behind the United States, who beat El Salvador 2-0 earlier. El Salvador shared second, and Jamaica, who drew with the United States last month, were fourth with one point. Each team has played two matches. Brown, who has Jamaican heritage, put the visitors in the lead from a right-side free kick when he rose above the Jamaica defence to head past goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. Jamaica picked up the pace and had several chances to draw level before halftime. First, Ricardo Gardener’s free kick grazed the crossbar. Then Ricardo Fuller’s goal-bound shot was parried by Jaime Peynado in the Panama goal. Peynado was his team’s savior in the second half, tipping a powerful drive from Theodore Whitmore over the crossbar in the 50th.

He left his line in the 70th to block another Fuller shot from six metres. Jamaica levelled the score through some smart work from substitute Jermaine Johnson, whose cross from the right was cleverly slicked past Peynado by Ralph, who plays for the Chicago Fire in US Major League Soccer. With the match heading for a draw, the Panamanians broke away with Valdese latching on to a loose ball and coolly slotting past Ricketts from six metres. Panama will next play the United States in Panama, while Jamaica will play El Salvador in San Salvador on Wednesday.