Sensational Golden Jaguars!

Oct 18, 2023 Sports

…Guyana on the brink of League A qualification following 3-1 win over Puerto Rico

By Rawle Toney

Kaieteur Sports – The Golden Jaguars have one foot in the door of advancing to League A of the Concacaf Nations League following their come-from-behind 3-1 win over Puerto Rico yesterday in St Kitts and Nevis.

It was a back-to-back win for Guyana against Puerto Rico following their 3-1 win on Saturday in Basseterre.

Speaking to Kaieteur Sport after the match, head coach Jamaal Shabazz said he was, “Extremely proud of all the staff and players and very happy for the GFF and our Guyanese people home and abroad.”

“Hard fought and well-deserved victory from our beloved team. We took huge risks to press rather than sit back. They pressed us too,” Shabazz said.

In a match where both teams needed a win, the tension was palpable at St Kitts and Nevis’ Football Association Training Centre.

The two sides were back-and-forth, but it was Puerto Rico that found the breakthrough in the 41st minute when Gerald Diaz slipped through the high press from Guyana’s defence to beat the goalkeeper.

Keeping a close eye! Guyana’s Reece Greenidge (#15) and Elliot Bonds (#23) hunting Puerto Rico’s Gerald Diaz during their 3-1 win in the Concacaf Nations League.

At halftime, Puerto Rico held a 1-0 lead.

AFC Bournemouth’s Nathan Moriah-Welsh entered the game, replacing Captain Daniel Wilson, and handed Guyana the equaliser when he picked a pass from the press at the top of the 18 to easily put the ball past Puerto Rico’s Joel Mercado in goal.

That was a cue for the Golden Jaguars, as they went hunting more goals, while their defence looked sturdy and Roberts pulled off one critical save after another.

In the 78th minute, Deon Moore scored a goal thanks to the exceptional play of Queens Park Rangers’ Stephen Duke-Mckenna, who outmanoeuvred the Puerto Rico defence to set up the England-based attacker for a header.

Guyana wasn’t finished yet.

Omari Glasgow, seizing an opportunity due to their high-pressing strategy, intercepted a pass and calmly slotted the ball into the net with his deadly right foot.

Deon Moore’s goal sealed Guyana’s 3-1 win over Puerto Rico in the Nations League.

It was the Chicago Fire 19-year-old’s 13th international goal in 19 appearances for Guyana and his sixth in the Nations League, where he leads all scorers in League B.

Guyana’s exceptional performance brings the Golden Jaguars to the brink of advancing to League A in the Nations League, marking a significant achievement for the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).

While celebrating the team’s victory, Shabazz acknowledged the mistakes made but also highlighted the pressure they exerted on their opponents.

“We made errors and also forced them into errors. Fortune favours the brave. We have developed an identity of how we want Guyana to play. Plenty of room for improvement. We have done our job for our Country and our Federation and the praise is due to Allah,” Shabazz said.

Guyana’s next match will see them travel to The Bahamas on November 18, followed by their final League B game at home against Antigua and Barbuda on November 21.

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Basseterre, CONCACAF Nations League, Golden Jaguars, Guyanese, St. Kitts and Nevis

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