The Golden Jaguars were eliminated from the CONCACAF Gold Cup Prelims yesterday, losing their final playoff match against Guadeloupe 0-2 at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
Fresh off their 5-3 penalty shoot-out victory against Grenada in the first round, Guyana incurred their first ever defeat to the ‘Gwada Boys’ in six matches, a defeat which eventually occurred following a 70 minute delay due to a thunderstorm that transpired 15 minutes into the first half.
Guyana’s starting XI which once again comprised only one locally born player in Omari Glasgow, consisted of Kai McKenzie-Lyle, Jonathan Grant, Jalen Jones, Samuel Cox, Tre Medford, Kadell Daniels, Liam Gordon, Neil Danns, Deon Moore, and Elliott Bonds.
Guadeloupe almost took the lead in the fourth minute, as Jordan Leborgne fired wide of the lower left corner from the top of the 18-yard box.
Guyana’s best chance of the match occurred in the sixth minute through Daniels, who uncorked a powerful right footed strike wide of the right corner from 22 yards out in the centre of the field.
Following the resumption of play due to a prevailing thunderstorm, Guadeloupe took the lead under fortuitous circumstances in the 18th minute, as a sliding cross from the inside the left of the penalty box by Anthony Baron was poorly cleared by Bonds which deflected and clipped the right leg of Gordon and rolled into the lower left corner.
Leborgne should have doubled Guadeloupe’s lead in the 37th minute as an initial strike from Matthias Phaeton from inside the right of the area, was parried into his onrushing path, only for the forward to strike his first time effort over crossbar unchallenged.
Leborgne continued to torment the Guyanese backline and was denied once more in the 41st minute, as a first time effort from the top of the box was denied by custodian McKenzie-Lyle low to his right.
Guadeloupe eventually doubled their lead in the 57th minute, as Andreaw Gravillon scored. Awarded a free-kick 26 yards out in the centre of the field, the Torino FC midfielder uncorked a powerful right footed strike which took a slight deflection off the head of Bonds in the wall and settled into the roof of the left corner
Guyana’s best chance in the entire period occurred in the 90th+3 minute, as Glasgow rifled a powerful right footed shot from outside the box, which was parried by the goalkeeper. In total, Guyana only recorded four attempts despite having 60% of possession and completing 410 passes out of 482 at a conversion rate of 85%.
