Watson’s double seals win for young Boyz

Jamaica's Under-17 Reggae Boyz looked proficient yesterday as they defeated neighbours Cuba 4-2 to kick off Group G of the Concacaf Men's Under-17 Championships in Ciudad, Guatemala.

The performance of the young Boyz was despite travel distractions, which had several squad members arriving in Guatemala on Friday night, but they responded admirably to head coach Merron Gordon's plea earlier in the week to be less wasteful in front of goal.

Jahmani Bell scored a peach of a goal in the 22nd minute. A long left-sided cross into the box from Ronaldo Barrett floated sweetly into the path of Bell. He volleyed home past a hapless Ishuhanis Perez in the Cuba goal as the Jamaicans took the one-goal advantage into the second half.

The Jamaicans grew even more confident following that opening goal, and they would come out in the second stanza utilising the flanks once again to snare their second goal in the 56th minute. Orane Watson was at the right place to tap home a left-sided cross following some good work by Nahshon Bolt.

The young Boyz were quicker to the ball than their Cuban counterparts, and that constant pressure would bring about a third goal when substitute Ashton Gordon found himself unmarked inside the box and neatly finished off a sublime right-sided pass from Bell.

That goal knocked the stuffing out of the Cubans, who let their heads drop even lower to fall behind further, as a defensive error allowed Gordon to grab his double. The forward robbed defender Leandro Garcia and then made his way into the box and calmly slotted past Perez to give the young Reggae Boyz a 4-0 lead.

That fourth goal, however, seemed to ignite the Cubans, who found some life as striker Didier Reinoso spectacularly pulled a goal back in the 78th minute after the first slip-up by the Jamaican backline.

Cuba were not done, and with a minute to go in full-time, Reinoso again found the net to send some jitters into the Jamaican camp after coach Gordon made a plethora of substitutions.

The Boyz would hold on to seal the win, which pleased young Bell, who capped off a good night with a goal and an assist.

"It's a wonderful feeling scoring in my first international game, and we have to just keep moving and get the three points in the next game," Bell said.