England-based striker Jobi McAnuff scored a superb individual goal to give Jamaica a surprise 2-2 draw with highly-rated Costa Rica in the Gold Cup in Carson, California, on Wednesday.
McAnuff, who plays for English fourth-tier side Leyton Orient, jinked his way past a series of Costa Rica defenders to prod home a 48th-minute equalizer at the StubHub Center.
The Group B result came as a disappointment to Costa Rica, the highest placed CONCACAF team in the FIFA world rankings at 14th.
Photo: AFP
Los Ticos, one of the surprise packages at last year’s FIFA World Cup finals where they defeated Italy and Uruguay during a fairy-tale run to the quarter-finals, trailed early on after Jamaica took the lead through Garath McCleary on 13 minutes.
However, the Central Americans soon took the lead through goals from Roy Miller and David Ramirez.
Ramirez gave Costa Rica a 2-1 lead in the 37th minute when he chipped the ball over the head of Jamaica goalkeeper Dwayne Miller and into the net.
Photo: AFP
His goal came just four minutes after Roy Miller headed home from a set-piece to cancel out McCleary’s opener.
Costa Rica are aiming to win their first Gold Cup title in the 12-team tournament.
Despite their ranking, Costa Rica did not go into the tournament on a high note as they lost three and drew two in their previous five contests.
Caribbean minnows Jamaica will be satisfied with a point after a difficult campaign at the Copa America last month where they lost all three group games.
In the second match in Group B, Kyriakos Stamatopoulos made six saves to help Canada hold El Salvador to a 0-0 draw.
Stamatopoulos started in place of Canada’s No. 1 goalkeeper Milan Borjan, who is missing the tournament because of his Bulgarian club commitments.
Both teams had their best scoring chances in the first half.
Canada’s Cyle Larin ran past the defense, jinked goalkeeper Derby Carrillo, but sent his shot high and wide in the 35th minute.
In the 43rd, Canada’s Tosaint Ricketts beat two defenders during a counterattack, but his shot went harmlessly wide.
Just before halftime, El Salvador’s Richard Menjivar beat three defenders with nifty footwork to get to the near post, but his cross was cleared away. Moments later, Stamatopoulos punched weakly, but he recovered to block Irvin Herrera’s close-range shot.
Up for grabs at the end of the 12-team, 19-day tournament is a spot in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.
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