Demarai Gray scored a first-half brace on his 26th birthday and Jamaica cruised to a 4-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago in a CONCACAF Gold Cup match at St. Louis on Wednesday.
The result leaves Jamaica (1-0-1, 4 points) atop the Group A standings ahead of the late game at St. Louis, which will see the United States (0-0-1, 1 point) face Saint Kitts and Nevis (0-1-0, 0 points). Trinidad and Tobago (1-1-0, 3 points) had won its opener against Saint Kitts and Nevis on Sunday.
The top two teams in each of the four groups advance to the quarterfinals.
Leon Bailey assisted Gray for a 12-yard, right-footed goal in the 14th minute.
Three minutes later, Bailey broke in one-on-one with Trinidad and Tobago goalie Nicklas Frenderup and fired home a left-footed strike that was originally ruled out for offside. However, a video review showed Bailey was onside, and the goal stood.
Gray, who just joined the Jamaican team for this event after playing for his native England at the youth level, scored again in the 29th minute. Michail Antonio went to the ground in the penalty area but kept control of the ball and sent it to Gray, who tapped it into a wide-open net.
Andre Rampersad got a consolation goal for Trinidad and Tobago in the 49th minute, and Jamaica’s Dujuan Richards scored in second-half stoppage time.
Jamaica concludes group play against Saint Kitts and Nevis on Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif. The same day, Trinidad and Tobago will oppose the United States in Charlotte.
–Field Level Media