From CONCACAF

BALTIMORE, Maryland — Giles Barnes knows his priorities.

After scoring the only goal in Jamaica’s 1-0 victory over Haiti in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals on Saturday, more important than the cheers he heard from the M&T Bank Stadium crowd was a text message he received.

“I just got a text message from my dad saying how proud he is of me,” expressed Barnes. “That kind of stuff warms your heart. As along as long as I keep making my family happy, that’s all that matters.”

It certainly doesn’t hurt to please your teammates and countrymen as well.

Barnes’ second international goal propelled the Reggae Boyz into the semifinals against the defending champion United States in Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old native of England has enjoyed a whirlwind year, making his international debut and playing well for Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo.

“It’s been crazy, starting so well with Houston,” said Barnes, a former Derby County standout. “Would like to pick a few more points with the club, but my form has been pretty good. Representing my country has been incredible. It’s something that dreams have been made of, you know? I can’t put it in words right now what it means to me. I still have to process it all, but I’m a very proud person at the moment.”

He probably will be doing some additional texting prior to the semifinal with Dynamo teammate and U.S. defender DaMarcus Beasley.

“Me and Beas probably will have something to say,” Barnes remarked. “DaMarcus is a wonderful player. He has been at the top of his game for a number of years. I’ve got only good things to say about him. Coming out of retirement and coming to play for the U.S. is such an honor as well. He still can play at any level he wants to. We’re both looking for the same thing and that’s three points and who will advance to the final.”

Although the victory over Haiti enabled Jamaica to claim a place in the Gold Cup’s final four for the first time since 1998, Barnes believes the current Caribbean champion still has some unfinished business to address.

“People didn’t expect us to win our group and we won our group,” concluded Barnes. “People didn’t expect us to get to the semifinal and we got to the semifinal. We know we’re the underdogs, but we know what we’re able of. We think we have a special group and we’re going to keep on showing that as well.”

IMAGE: Giles Barnes (pictured) has two goals in eight games for Jamaica. (Photo: Mexsport)

MEXICO DEFEATS COSTA RICA
By Patrick Horne from Caribbean Life

IMAGE:
Associated Press / Mel Evans Mexico’s Carlos Esquivel (21) breaks away from Costa Rica’s Celso Borges (5) during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match Sunday, July 19, 2015, at MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Seventy-three thousand fans at MetLife Stadium (Rutherford, NJ) last Sunday night, July 19, and a worldwide audience of millions saw an abhorrent act by fans during the Mexico-Costa Rica CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal game. Spectators, mostly Mexican, tossed water bottles, cups and other objects onto the field during Mexico’s 1-0 win over Costa Rica on a 90th minute penalty kick. It was the second such abhorrent and dangerous act in the past week by fans during two Mexico games.

In a tense battle between the teams — scoreless after both teams, particularly Mexico, had missed a number of scoring chances — a fan breached the security lines and ran onto the field; as the guards escorted him out, bottles and cans, aimed at the security guards, rained on the pitch. It was an ugly site that tarnished an otherwise very competitive game, one that CONCACAF and U.S. soccer would have been proud of. Instead, what was a very enthusiastic atmosphere suddenly turned dangerous to fans and players alike

This was the second such disruptive action in a week of one of the best CONCACAF tournaments to date. During the Mexico-Trinidad and Tobago game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday, July 15, in the last group stage game, Mexico was leading, 4-3, with less than a minute to play, and as Trinidad and Tobago forward Joevin Jones prepared to take the crucial corner kick, water bottles, cups and other objects were tossed at him to distract the kicker. Credit to Jones, he ignored the regrettable actions of the Mexican fans and focused on delivering an accurate kick that teammate Yohancy Marshall turned into the equalizer for a 4-4 result.

Ironically, this Mexico-Trinidad game was one of the most exciting in the history of the CONCACAF tournament, and the standard of play mirrored the improved game coming out of the of the Caribbean. Although Jones ignored the vile act of the fans, FIFA, MLS, U.S. Soccer and CONCACAF cannot afford to. Guardians of the game must immediately address this situation, otherwise, left unchecked, these and others vile acts will be a detriment to U. S. soccer. Throwing bottles and other objects onto a soccer field is harmful and disdainful to the game and most importantly to the fans. It will be a sad day if American stadiums have the feel of outdoor barracks, with high wire fences and iron stanchions to guard against bottle-throwing and the like, as is the case with stadiums in some foreign countries.

U. S. soccer has developed over the past 13 years by leaps and bounds, much to the credit of the quick growth of MLS. The best foreign players come here to conclude their careers. The quality and legitimacy of U.S. soccer is manifested in the improvement of the U.S. senior national team’s recent successes on the world stage: the men’s squad has qualified for every World Cup tournament since 1990 and the women’s awesome display on the field recently in Canada earned them an unprecedented third World Cup title. American fans are enjoying the game more than ever before, staging public viewing sites around the country when the national teams play. There is much at stake here, very much to protect!

American soccer is a good product, a new product that could set new standards for the game as a refreshingly enjoyable entertainment event. The best foreign teams come here during the summer for the Guinness International Cup, a preseason tournament to prepare them for their fall seasons; they are here because of the peaceful atmosphere at games, free from hostility, which allows for effective preparation. Hence, the world’s best clubs are in the tournament: English teams Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspurs; world club champion Barcelona of Spain is here and so is Fiorentina of Italy, Club America from Mexico and PSG (Paris Saint Germain) from France.

These teams endear the American fans to the game with their high standards of play, Americans appreciate the firsthand experience, and very importantly, American youth players improve by watching their heroes up close. The caretakers of the American game must deal with the abhorrent behavior that I witnessed the last two weeks in CONCACAF. They have a chance to be a new beacon for the game and infuse new ideas to enhance soccer as the wonderful spectator sport that it is; so far, MLS and U. S. soccer have done an excellent job of marketing the game and making it a wonderful experience for fans here. There is much at stake and abhorrent acts such as I saw during Mexico’s last two games have no place in American soccer. American soccer officials have a responsibility to protect the ‘beautiful’ game and maintain its beauty.

For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2015/7/2015-07-22-horne-soccer-cl.html

CFU Team Into 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final

Jamaica made an historic entry into the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup finals by defeating defending champions the United States 2-1, in semi-final action at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 22, closing the gap for football in the Caribbean.

Jamaica is the first Caribbean Football Union (CFU) member association team to reach the final of this biennial event.

The CFU President Gordon Derrick witnessed the historic event and said, “Words cannot express how proud I am to have seen a Caribbean country reach the finals of this our most prestigious tournament in CONCACAF. The results of CFU countries in this 2015 version of the Gold Cup and more particularly last Wednesday’s result marks a red letter day in the history of Caribbean football. It signals that the Caribbean countries have truly arrived and no longer can be taken for granted by the rest of the CONCACAF.”

President Derrick went on to comment, “The Caribbean teams have been knocking at the door for the past twenty-four years and have finally got in. I congratulate the Jamaicans for their resilience and the high quality of technical and tactical football displayed throughout the tournament which has brought them to the finals. On behalf of the entire CFU members, I wish the team all the best on Sunday and I can assure them that we are in full support of the team winning that coveted silverware.”

Jamaica meets another CONCACAF giant and former champion Mexico on Sunday in the finals at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mexico came from behind to turn back Panama 2-1 in their semi-final match.

Meanwhile, a beaming President of the Jamaica Football Federation Captain Horace Burrell said, “I had no doubt in my mind that the Reggae Boyz would have done what critics deemed as impossible. After my interaction with the team and observing the positive vibes and seeing the comradery and togetherness within the squad I got a positive energy and just relaxed myself while awaiting the realization of victory over the USA.”

The Reggae Boyz were like a well-oiled machine as they catapulted ahead of the football kingpins with a stunning 2-0 half time result with goals coming from Darren Mattocks and Giles Barnes in the 31st and 35th minute respectively.
The USA in an immediate response in the start of the second half managed to score a consolation goal which came from Michael Bradley in the 48th minute.

The Jamaicans disrupted the USA by removing them from the final for the first time since 2003. The USA will now face Panama.