Candace Seaton scored off the underside the crossbar in the 65th minute and gave Trinidad & Tobago a 1-0 victory over Jamaica on Monday in a match for Caribbean pride at the CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship.
Both entered the game already eliminated from semifinal contention and with two losses each in Group B play, having been outscored by a combined 14-1.
After having a shot pushed off the underside of the crossbar by Jamaican goalkeeper Leigh-Ann Jaggon seven minutes earlier, Seaton used a piece of individual skill to give the Soca Princesses the victory.
She took a ball down the right side, cut inside Jamaican defender Lia Blake and took a touch inside the penalty area before deftly looping a right-footed shot just out of the reach of a stretching Jaggon that nicked the crossbar before settling in the back of the net.
It was the first goal for Trinidad in the tournament since Natasha St. Louis scored in the first minute of its opening game against Mexico.
Jaggon thwarted Seaton in the 58th when the Trinidad winger hit a 25-meter shot that the goalkeeper had to push upward off the underside of the bar before it bounded out.
Jamacia had the better of play in the first half with Natasha St. Louis hitting the left corner of the post and crossbar from 25 meters in the 24th minute.
Jamaica returned home with three losses in as many games and without a goal.
Trinidad finished with a flurry, hitting the post again when Mariah Shade's volley of a rebound hit a sprawled Jaggon and deflected off the goal and out of play.
Woeful Girlz fail to score as World Cup campaign ends.
HOWARD WALKER (Jamaica Observer) in Guatemala @ CONCACAF U-20 WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP.
Jamaica suffered their third straight defeat when they crashed 0-1 to arch-rivals Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) to finish at the bottom of Group B in the CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship at the Estadio Cementos Progresso here yesterday.
Both Jamaica and T&T had nothing to play for but pride, and once again the young Reggae Girlz turned in a pathetic display to lose to their Caribbean rivals despite dominating possession.
Candace Seaton of Trinidad provided a moment of brilliance to turn centre back Lia Blake before sending what looked like an innocuous shot goalwards, but somehow debutant Jamaican goalkeeper Leigh Ann Jaggon made a mess and the ball was in the goal.
It was a cruel blow for the Jamaicans who dominated the entire first half, with Trudi Carter hitting the crossbar on two occasions.
The Girlz also had more of the possession in the second half, but had nothing to show for it.
Jamaica finished the tournament without a point in the four-team group behind USA, Mexico and T&T.
They also had the distinction of being the only team in the championship not to score a goal, while conceding nine times.
Head coach Vin Blaine was at a lost for words. "I don't know. I fail to understand how the players come out and don't get high to play this game," he mourned
"We haven't scored a goal. They delay in going forward as if they are afraid of playing... there was no commitment from the players in all of the games," said a disappointed Blaine.
"You have about three players you can pick out that gave full commitment to the game. The rest are just jogging around as if to say, it's a vacation," he added.
Meanwhile, T&T coach Jamal Shabazz, was elated but confessed his team was outplayed. "The result was an important one for us, but we were very fortunate today," he noted.
"Early in the game, Jamaica really pinned us back and should have come out with a point. But we scored the goal and we relished that," said Shabazz.
Coach Blaine left top striker Semone Honeygan on the bench and started with the ineffective strike pair of Cathryn Rogers and Shenika Williams.
He also gave a debut to US-based players, goalkeeper Leigh Ann Jaggon and midfielder Jamilia Campbell-Henny.
It's back to the drawing board and more soul searching for yet another female Jamaica team, falling short at the final hurdle of a CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament. In their previous games, Jamaica were swamped 6-0 by world champions USA, then went crashing 0-2 to Mexico.
Teams:
Jamaica -- 01-Leigh Ann Jaggon, 02-Lia Blake, 04-Zovel Hyre, 05-Katrina Rose, 08-Shanise Foster, 20-Nicole Campbell, 15-Trudi Carter, 17-Jamilia Campbell-Henny (16-Nesa Ralph 76th), 11-Sashana Campbell, 14-Shenika Williams (07-Semone Honeygan 46th), 12-Cathryn Rogers (18-Teashian Thomas 68th).
Subs not used: 13-Sashagay Spence, 03-Shushana Dobson, , 09-Shereen Clarke, 19-Monique Pryce, 10-Nugene Nugent
Booked: None
Trinidad & Tobago -- 01-Kimika Forbes, 02-Camille Borneo, 03-Victoria Swift (05-Renel Dennis 76th), 06-Tiana Bateau, 07-Taylor Mims, 08-Afiyah Matthias, 09-Candace Seaton, 10-Mariah Shade, 14-Karyn Forbes, 15- Natasha St Louis (12-Kayla Taylor 69th), 19-Arin King.
Subs not used:11- Natasha Prentice, 13-Jo-Marie Lewis, 18-Jennel Kissoon, 17-Cassey McKenzie, 21-Keri Myers.
Booked: Forbes (25th), Camille Borneo (50th)
Referee: Carol Anne Chenard (Canada)
Assistants: Suzanne Morisset (Canada), Jackeline Saez (Panama)
Fourth Official: Erika Vargas (Costa Rica)
Match Commissary: Hubert Isenia