Jamaica beats Haiti to reach Gold Cup semis

Haiti have been the surprise package of the tournament thus far managing to come second in the United States group and losing a nail biter against the states in the second group game.

And as the Boyz look to meet the powerful Americans, confidence springs internal that victory will be theirs as long as they keep the uplifting vibe going and the discipline of the field.

Now 32, Dempsey said he does not take home that many mementoes. Dempsey scored sliding with his right foot from 7 yards in the 78th off a pass from Bradley.

Jamaica were generally organised and tactical in their approach, dropping back deep in defence while allowing Haiti possession and looking to counter when they won the ball.

Jamaica forward Giles Barnes (9) is brought down by Haiti’s Jean-Marc Alexandre, left, during the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer quarterfinal, Saturday, July 18, 2015, in Baltimore. He became the first Jamaican forward to score this tournament on a night Darren Mattocks sat out with a red card suspension.

Hungry for the equalizer, the Haitians picked up where they left off in the second half as Marcelin powered a rising shot from outside the area just over the crossbar in the 49th minute.

Gonzalez, who played for the University of Maryland, made it 4-0 with his first worldwide goal, poking the ball in from 3 yards after Johannsson headed down Bradley’s corner kick. In the Copa America, Jamaica fell to Uruguay and then Paraguay. Barnes squeezed a right-footer through the wickets of Haitian keeper, Johnny Placide from a tight angle, to take the initiative for his side.

“The players that aren’t here now, they don’t really many anything to us because they’ve chosen their path”, Cuba coach Raul Gonzalez said through a translator. Panama, meanwhile, were forced to settle for third in Group A, tied with Cuba on three points, but with a zero goal-differential. After a draw against Los Ticos, Jamaica defeated Canada and El Salvador to advance out of the group.

The quarterfinals of CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Football Association) Gold Cup will be played on Saturday and Sunday.