Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago played to a 1-1 draw at Children’s Mercy Park on Wednesday night in a Caribbean derby in Kansas City in which Guyana picked up a historic first-ever point in a Gold Cup.
Guyana GK Quillan Roberts had the highlight moment of the first half in the 34th minute. Trinidad and Tobago’s Kevin Molino showed off some dazzling skill in the box before hitting a low shot that forced Roberts to dive down to his right to make a brilliant stop.
The breakthrough for Guyana came in the 54th minute, Neil Danns coming in off the left side and bending a shot to the far post with his right foot from just inside the 18, the ball hitting the underside of the crossbar and going in for Danns’ third goal of the Gold Cup.
Molino would then equalise for Trinidad and Tobago in the 80th minute, the Minnesota United player getting on the end of a ball over the top and cutting around the hesitantly onrushing Roberts and tapping home from an acute angle into an empty net.
Both teams concluded the tournament with one point, with Guyana ahead in third place in Group D on goal difference.
USA beat Panama 1-0
In the other Group D game, the United States defeated Panama 1-0 in front of a crowd of 17,037 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.
Jozy Altidore scored the winner for the U.S. on a spectacular overhead effort from close range. Altidore had the first clear-cut chance of the game in the 21st minute, forcing a fine save from Panama GK Jose Calderon.
Jose Fajardo proved to be a tough mark for the U.S. in the first 45 minutes, the Panama FW getting in behind the backline a handful of times. The 66th minute saw the U.S. go ahead in rather theatrical fashion.
Just moments after Head Coach Gregg Berhalter put Christian Pulisic into the match, it was Altidore who stole the show.
Play was kept alive by Matt Miazga, who headed a corner kick back toward the goal mouth, and a misplaced Panama clearance led to Altidore’s acrobatic finish.
The win gives the U.S. the top spot in Group D. It will now shift its focus to Sunday’s quarter-final with Curacao in Philadelphia, while Panama will play Jamaica for a spot in the last four. (Concacaf)
