Oscar Santis strike earns Guatemala first ever Gold Cup win over Jamaica
Oscar Santis struck in the 32nd minute and Guatemala held on for a 1-0 victory over Jamaica on Monday night in the Group C opener for both teams at the Concacaf Gold Cup, snapping a long run of futility against their Caribbean rivals.
The result marked Los Chapines' first ever win over Jamaica in Gold Cup play and their first victory in the rivalry in any competition since a 2-1 triumph during 2014 World Cup qualifying in 2012. It also avenged a 1-0 loss in the quarter-finals of the 2023 tournament and a 3-0 defeat to the Reggae Boyz in the second round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers last year.
This time, it was Santis who made the difference at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, the same venue that hosted one of the most dramatic meetings between the nations two decades ago, a 4-3 thriller won by Jamaica in 2005. On Monday, the match unfolded at a more measured pace but carried just as much importance in shaping Group C.
¡Pero qué golazo de Guatemala! 🥶 pic.twitter.com/Y5ueCwg6Yz
The breakthrough came when Darwin Lom, with his back to goal, alertly redirected a deflected long ball into the path of Santis. The 25-year-old winger from Comunicaciones FC found space just inside the box and slotted a composed right-footed finish past Jamaica's veteran goalkeeper Andre Blake.
Despite trailing, Jamaica controlled possession (54.3%) and outshot Guatemala 15-11, but struggled to break through in the final third. Only two of the Reggae Boyz' shots were on target, both saved by Guatemala goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen. Blake made three stops of his own to keep the deficit at one, but it wasn't enough.
The defeat ended Jamaica's perfect record in Gold Cup meetings with Guatemala, which had stood at 5-0 entering the match. The Reggae Boyz had previously dominated the fixture, outscoring Guatemala 12-6 in those contests, including a 3-2 win in their first Gold Cup encounter back in 1998.
With the win Guatemala join Panama, who defeated Guadeloupe 5-2 earlier Monday, atop Group C. The two group leaders will now meet Friday in Austin, Texas, in a match that could determine who advance as group winner. Jamaica, meanwhile, will try to regroup against Guadeloupe that same day in a must-win game to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
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