The second game in Group C of the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup saw Jamaica take on Guatemala at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
The two teams combined for five goals and a red card ejection in just the opening 45 minutes. At the end of the full 90 minutes though, it was Jamaica who enjoyed a 4-3 victory over Guatemala, giving themselves the early lead in the group.
FC Dallas forward Carlos Ruiz scored three goals to pace the Guatemalan team. Real Salt Lake midfielder Andy Williams converted a penalty kick for Jamaica. Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Guillermo Ramirez (Guatemala) and Kansas City Wizards midfielder Khari Stephenson (Jamaica) each played the full 90.
Jamaica opened the scoring after just 3 minutes of play. Jamaican striker Luton Shelton out-raced Guatemalan defender Fredy Thompson for a long ball played into the box. Shelton struck the ball first time into the bottom corner of the net to give the Reggae Boyz the lead. Just two minutes later, Jamaica was given a gift when Guatemalan keeper Luis Pedro Molina grossly misplayed a ball outside of his penalty area allowing Ricardo Fuller to walk in alone on net, and slot home an empty net goal to double the score.
Following the goal, the entire Guatemalan team huddled together to try and regain their composure. The move paid off, and the chapines pulled one goal back in the 11th minute. Elmer Ponciano dribbled past Robert Scarlett inside the Jamaican penalty area. A late tackle attempt from Scarlett missed the ball and only found the ankles of Ponciano, earning Guatemala a penalty kick. Carlos Ruiz stepped up to take the penalty and coolly converted the try in the lower left corner.
As if the opening 10 minutes didn't provide enough excitement, Jamaican defender Claude Davis was shown a straight red card in the 15th minute for an excessive foul off the ball, reducing the Caribbean side to 10 men for the rest of the game. The incident seemed to calm down both sides, and the middle stages of the half produced few genuine scoring opportunities.
Then, with a bang, the opening 45 minutes ended just how they began, with both sides trading goals just before halftime. First up Jamaica earned a penalty kick of their own when Shelton was taken down at the edge of the area. Like his Guatemalan counterpart Ruiz, Andy Williams buried his shot into the back of the net giving his side a two-goal cushion again. The lead was short lived however, as in first half stoppage time, Ruiz found net again, this time with a free header inside the area.
Both teams came out in the second half with more stability than they showed in the opening half. Jamaica, up a goal but down a man, went the unconventional route, hunting for more goals rather than protecting the lead. Jermaine Hue found the mark for Jamaica in the 57th minute, beating Molina low to the back post with a driven shot from just inside 18 yards.
Carlos Ruiz completed his hat trick in the 87th minute when Hernan Sandoval sent him in alone on Jamaican keeper Donovan Ricketts. Ruiz slotted home his third goal of the night past an onrushing Ricketts to bring his side back to within a goal.
Guatemala desperately tried to get back into the game, and created the majority of scoring chances over the last half-hour, but was unable to draw any closer than Ruiz's strike. Jamaica will take their one-goal win to the top of Group C, where they will meet fellow winners South Africa on Sunday. Guatemala takes on Mexico, as both sides try to get back on the right track following opening round losses.
Guatmala - Jamaica 3:4 (2:3)
JAM: Luton SHELTON 3'
JAM: Ricardo FULLER 5'
GUA: Carlos RUIZ 11' (pk)
JAM: Andy WILLIAMS 46+ (pk)
GUA: Carlos RUIZ 48+'
JAM: Jermaine HUE 57'
GUA: Carlos RUIZ 87'
GUA: 2-Nelson Noel Morales (Carlos Figueroa 29'), 3-Pablo Sebastian Melgar, 6-Gustavo Cabrera, 7-Fredy Thompson, 8-Gonzalo Romero, 10-Edwin Villatoro (Maynor Davila 75'), 11-Guillermo Ramirez, 14-Elmer Ponciano (Hernan Sandoval 62'), 20-Carlos Ruiz, 22-Luis Pedro Molina, 26-Angel Sanabria
DT: Ramon Maradiaga
JAM: 3-Damion Stewart, 5-Tyrone Sawyers, 6-Robert Scarlett, 9-Andrew Williams (Jermaine Johnson 75'), 10-Ricardo Fuller, 14-Tyrone Marshall, 17-Jermaine Hue (Omar Daley 65'), 18-Khari Stephenson, 21-Luton Shelton (Damani Ralph 56'), 25-Claude Davis, 30-Donovan Ricketts
DT: Wendell Downsell
Booked /Amonestado:
GUA - Ruiz 11', Sebastián 45', Villatoro 46'
JAM - None
Sent off / Expulsado:
JAM - Claude Davis 25
R: Brian Hall (USA)
A1: Grez Barkey (USA)
A2: Fernando Tamayo (ECU)
FO: Oscar Ruiz (COL)
