Wonder strike brings Boyz Nations League third place
A WONDER strike from right back Dexter Lembikisa brought Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz third place in the Concacaf Nations League and a rare win over Panama at the AT&T Stadium in Texas yesterday.
Lembikisa’s debut goal for Jamaica came in the 41st minute of play and proved to be the decider between two teams that looked evenly matched. It was just the fourth time in 21 attempts that the Jamaicans were getting the better of Panama.
The first 15 minutes of the encounter were decidedly in Panama’s favour, with the coach, Thomas Cristiansen, apparently listening to Reggae Boyz boss Heimir Hallgrimsson when he said he wanted his team to be brave in possession.
The Reggae Boyz tried to be brave, but Panama pressed with three forwards, making it very difficult for the three-man backline employed by Hallgrimsson to pass their way into more attacking positions.
Still, it was the Jamaicans who would get the more dangerous opportunities, with the returning Shamar Nicholson guilty of profligacy.
In the 19th minute, Nicholson, put through on goal by Michael Hector, who had intercepted a pass in midfield and drove forward before delivering a well-weighted pass, made a hash of a very presentable opportunity.
Carrying the ball wider to create an angle, Nicholson’s shot was saved by the legs of Panama custodian Orlando Mosquera. But the lanky striker was given a second bite at the cherry. Shooting into an almost empty net, Nicholson found Jiovany Ramos on the line too much of a hindrance to his rushed effort.
Hector, who had consistently been getting in the way of Panama’s good work, did so again in the 41st minute, this time on the right side of the field. The defender’s forward prod found the feet of a stretching Lembikisa, whose first touch took him inside before a step over in front of a defender gave him space to let fly from his weaker left foot.
The curling effort from fully 25 yards out left Mosquera with no chance, nestling in the top corner of his net before he even got close.
PANAMA RESPONSE
Panama mounted a response, and in the 44th minute, José Luis Rodríguez received a layoff from Adalberto Carrasquilla, but his onetime effort was expertly saved by the strong arm of Reggae Boyz goalkeeper and captain Andre Blake.
Unlike last time, when Greg Leigh had scored in the very first minute and Jamaica defended for 90+ minutes against the United States in the Nations League semi-final on Thursday, this time around, they only had to do it for a half.
And unlike last time, the Jamaicans didn’t just defend either, continuously ensuring that the Panamians, while searching for what would eventually be an elusive equaliser, remained honest with some dangerous counter-attacks.
Demarai Gray, on the few occasions he was allowed to run, did, and created problems. Hector also created problems, winning the ball high up the pitch in the second half to start counters that left the Panamians scrambling.
Even though that was the case in the second half, and there were moments when the game seemed a little frantic, there were no real goalmouth chances on either side.
Panamanian substitute Ismael Diaz did give the crowd, on both sides of the aisle, a jolt, though, when a deflection from some ragged Reggae Boyz defending found him running on to the ball behind the backline, albeit at an angle.
However, his one-time strike rippled the net on the wrong side of the goal.
The illusion of a goal highlighted the dramatic nature of the final few minutes, but for Panama, there was nothing more.