The 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup has been weird, entertaining, and as per usual, stocked with odd results. In 2015, Jamaica knocked the United States out in the semifinals, the first in a series of events that would eventually, more than a year later, result in Jurgen Klinsmann’s dismissal.
Now, Jamaica has eliminated Mexico, and while the Mexican roster was fairly depleted to begin with, it’s still not going to play well for Mexican coach Juan Carlos Osorio.
Here’s the only goal of the contest, a late free kick golazo from Jamaica (and New York Red Bull) full back Kemar Lawrence, who preceded the strike with an odd bit of gamesmanship that probably shouldn’t have been allowed, but hey, it’s CONCACAF!
Here are a few more looks:
WHAT A GOAL! Lawrence with a free kick in the 88th minute to put #JAM ahead!😱 @ModeloUSA #ModeloSoccer #MEXvJAM https://t.co/QbunOMhOHI
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 24, 2017
That’s a hell of a goal, touching of the ball or not, and it propelled Jamaica to Wednesday night’s Gold Cup final, where they’ll face the United States. The winner is assured at least a place in the CONCACAF Cup to determine the region’s representative at the 2021 Confederation’s Cup in (for now) Qatar. (If the same team wins both the 2017 and 2019 Gold Cups, there won’t be a CONCACAF Cup.)
It’s a great showing for Jamaica, as they appear in their second consecutive Gold Cup final, though they’ve been unable to translate that to World Cup qualifying success. They finished last in the hexagonal round for the 2014 World Cup, and failed to make it to the hex this year, having been stymied by a tough group draw.
At the very least, though, they have more tournament success on which to build, and they have Kemar Lawrence, a hero to Americans if Wikipedia is to be believed, which it should be at all times:
