ST. LOUS Missouri – Demarai Gray scored two goals on his 27th birthday as part of a three-goal first half that helped Jamaica secure its first win of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. The Reggae Boyz beat Trinidad and Tobago 4-1 in Group A on Wednesday at CITYPARK in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Gray’s first goal came in the 14th minute, when Jamaica FW Michail Antonio took the ball in the box but played a pass to Leon Bailey near the top of the arc. Bailey set up Gray, who took one touch and finished the opener.
Bailey then became the scorer three minutes later, bringing down a long ball and firing a left-footed shot past Trinidad and Tobago GK Nicklas Frenderup for a 2-0 advantage.
It was a third goal just before the break when Jamaica MF Kevon Lambert forced a turnover and played forward for Antonio, who squared so Gray could tap in his second goal of the night and Jamaica headed into the halftime break up 3-0.
After a trio of changes at the break by Trinidad and Tobago manager Angus Eve, the Soca Warriors worked to get back in the game. Trinidad and Tobago FW Levi Garcia got to the end-line and fired in a low cross that MF Andre Rampersad converted to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Neither team found the back of the net again until stoppage time. The best chance was in the 65th minute when Frenderup denied Jamaica FW Shamar Nicholson from close range and the rebound bounced just out of the reach of the onrushing Antonio.
But Frenderup was beaten late when a long shot from 17-year-old Jamaica FW Dujuan Richards took a tricky deflection off one of the shot-stopper's teammates and went in to restore the three-goal margin at 4-1.
The meeting was the first ever between the Caribbean rivals in the Gold Cup. Jamaica now turns its attention to its final group game against Saint Kitts and Nevis, while Trinidad and Tobago close Group A action against the United States.
