(Jamaica Observer) DALLAS, United States – The dreams and hopes of 22 players, some 20 staffers and an entire nation, went up in smoke when Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz crashed 0-1 to the United States in their Concacaf Gold Cup quarter-final match at AT&T Stadium on Sunday night.
The dangerous frontman, FC Schalke’s Matthew Hoppe, got the all-important goal in the 83rd minute.
It was the second-consecutive tournament that the USA were eliminating Jamaica, having done so in 2019 at the semi-final stage.
Sunday night’s elimination will be seen as a massive underachievement for Jamaica, who have made the semi-finals of the previous three editions of the biennial tournament.
Hopes were high that this was the Boyz’ year to lift the trophy, but ‘Hoppe’ was against them Sunday night, rising majestically between two Jamaican defenders to head into an unguarded goal after Blake had advanced to take the incoming ball.
In the curtain-raiser, Canada blanked Costa Rica 2-0 to advance to the semi-finals where they will face Mexico in Austin on Thursday.
The USA will face guest team Qatar in the other semi-final match-up.
