From MLS Soccer

Jamaica captured the sixth Caribbean Cup title in the country’s history on Tuesday evening, defeating Trinidad & Tobago 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw, much to the delight of the home fans in Montego Bay.

Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake made a key save in the shootout, denying Soca Warriors captain Kenwyne Jones in the first round to stake his side to an early lead. Though D.C. United forward Michael Seaton missed his penalty for Jamaica, a miss from Khaleem Hyland on the final kick gave Jamaica the title.

Orlando City midfielder Kevin Molino and Houston Dynamo defender Jermaine Taylor converted their shootout attempts for T&T and Jamaica, respectively.

The victory guarantees the Reggae Boyz a berth in the 2016 Copa America Centenario, in addition to the 2015 Gold Cup place they earned by making the Caribbean Cup final four. Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago will be joined in next summer’s Gold Cup by Cuba and Haiti, while fifth-placed French Guiana will face Honduras for the remaining spot up for grabs.

A number of MLS players featured for both finalists throughout the tournament, with Blake, Seaton and Taylor joined on the Jamaica squad by Alvas Powell (Portland Timbers), Je-Vaughn Watson (FC Dallas), Darren Mattocks (Vancouver Whitecaps) and Deshorn Brown (Colorado Rapids). On the T&T side, MLS was represented by Molino and Kevan George (Columbus Crew SC), as well as recently-released ex-Whitecaps center back Carlyle Mitchell.

Mattocks and Molino, along with Haiti’s Kervens Belfort, finished as the tournament’s top scorers with three goals apiece over four games.

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CONCACAF Watch: Caribbean powers flex muscles in Caribbean Cup

By Jon Arnold From GOAL

The Reggae Boyz and Soca Warriors will square off for the Caribbean Cup title as the region’s top teams reasserted their position as the class of the Caribbean.

Maybe Jamaica fans should’ve just listened to one of their most famous native sons.

There was plenty of reason for worry ahead of the Caribbean Cup. Jamaica finished at the bottom of the Hexagonal and its only victories in 2014 came against Caribbean minnows Barbados and Saint Lucia. Add an 8-0 shellacking from France during the summer, plus defeats to Canada and Japan while preparing for the tournament, and you can understand why Reggae Boyz supporters may have been a bit concerned.

A 1-1 draw with Martinique in the competition’s undeniably tougher Group B did little to dispell fears of embarrassment for the host fans. But in wins against Antigua and Barbuda and Haiti, Jamaica sent a message to fans: “Don’t worry about a thing. Cause every little thing’s gonna be all right,” as the great Bob Marley sang.

Just when it looked like the balance of power might be shifting away from Jamaica, which will face similarly resurgent regional power Trinidad and Tobago in Tuesday’s final, manager Winifred Schaefer’s master plan all seemed to come together.

How did it happen? Darren Mattocks scored a number of goals as he and Simon Dawkins used their speed and touch to torture center backs as veteran midfielder Jobi McAnuff found spaces and stayed resolute in midfield. That was combined with a number of excellent saves from young goalkeeper Andre Blake, including a penalty save late in the final group match against Haiti. Though Leicester City center back Wes Morgan was ruled out of the team with an injury, the defense has done an adequate job, especially coping with the threat posed by Haiti’s Jeff Louis in a 2-0 victory.

It was an easier route through for Trinidad and Tobago, which saw Orlando City’s Kevin Molino score three goals over the three group games. The Soca Warriors’ fans may have had some similar doubts to those harbored by the Jamaican fans, but Molino and Kenwyne Jones have had their quality shine through to set up a Caribbean Cup final showdown between the region’s two historic powers for the first time since 1998.

Off-field troubles continue to plague Trinidad and Tobago’s FA with money a struggle after crooked Jack Warner’s departure. There were reports in the local press Tuesday morning that the players would consider boycotting the final because money they were due had not been paid. But that appears to have been settled, and the tournament’s most successful team historically will try to lift the Caribbean Cup for the first time since 2001.

Both teams will be eyeing the Copa America Centenario berth afforded to the winner, which they’ll see as an opportunity to launch into the Hex and get a Caribbean team in the World Cup for the first time since Trinidad and Tobago’s 2006 squad.

Quickly Taken

Caribbean Cup format – I can’t fathom why there isn’t a fifth-place match in the Caribbean Cup. The championship will be good theater with the winner lifting a trophy and heading for the Copa America Centenario in 2016. Upstart Haiti and Cuba will play a spirited third-place match. But fifth place was decided by the best third-place group finisher, which saw French Guiana go through on goal difference.

It is spectacularly harsh to have teams which have played three matches against three teams of varying strengths ranked by goal difference. The region should instead play a fifth-place match for the right to move on and face the fifth-place Central American team (Honduras) in the playoff to qualify for the Gold Cup. Instead, a very good Martinique team is left to rue the fact that it conceded three goals to Haiti while French Guiana was able to thump Curacao.

Tuesday should be a tripleheader kicked off by a high-drama playoff.

Play on, playas – El Salvador, which has been champion or runner up in every CONCACAF beach soccer championship in which it participated, lifted the Copa Centroamericana of beach soccer. The triumph made the front page of several Salvadoran newspapers in a country where news in and out of the sport has been overwhelmingly bad the past several years.

Herrera crafting vision – Mexico manager Miguel Herrera came in like a firefighter, putting out the issues burning through the Mexico team during World Cup qualification and getting a respectable team together for the World Cup. His success meant he’d continue, but the question remained of how Herrera, the laid-back coach known for his wild goal celebrations, would build a team and also deal with the off-field pressure that comes along with being Mexico’s boss.

He’s started to answer that question and seems to be far more than just a charismatic guy. Not only has he somehow wooed Carlos Vela back from exile, he’s also building two teams with an eye toward 2015 when El Tri will contest both the Copa America and the Gold Cup. The win against the Netherlands was exactly what Mexico needed to keep good feelings from the World Cup carrying over until 2015. The leash continues to lengthen, but as Chepo de la Torre can attest, it can be jerked back very quickly. For now, Herrera is in no danger of losing his job.