Miami (AFP) – Jamaica beat Bermuda 4-0 on Tuesday to seize the lead in Group B of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying as Curacao slipped to second after a 1-1 home draw against Trinidad and Tobago. Jamaica have nine points with two matches remaining, a point clear of Curacao, while Bermuda are out after four straight defeats. Trinidad and Tobago kept their hopes alive with the draw at Curacao’s Ergilio Hato Stadium, which put them on five points.
CONCACAF’s United States, Canada, and Mexico have already qualified as co-hosts. The final 12 teams have been drawn into three groups, with the winners of each also qualifying for next year’s showpiece. The two second-place teams with the best records will still have a chance to qualify via playoffs with teams from other regions.
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Jamaica took the lead in Kingston in the 24th minute when Bermuda centre-back Dante Leverock deflected a cross into his own net. Two minutes later, Bobby De Cordova-Reid added a second, and Shamar Nicholson gave the hosts a 3-0 cushion by half-time. Dujuan Richards completed the rout in the 76th minute.
In Curacao, Kenji Gorre gave the hosts the lead in the 19th minute with a superb right-foot finish into the top right corner, but Tyrese Spicer equalised in the 58th minute for Trinidad and Tobago.
In Group A, Panama’s Ismael Diaz scored in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time to give the hosts a dramatic 1-1 draw with group leaders Suriname. Richonell Margaret had fired Suriname into the lead with a right-foot shot into the bottom left corner on 21 minutes. It means Panama are level at the top of the group on six points, with an identical goal difference, but Suriname lead by virtue of having scored one more goal. Guatemala are a point behind in third after Oscar Santis scored the only goal in the first minute of the second half to give his team a 1-0 victory in El Salvador.
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