Reggae Boys halted by Americans

Jamaica rose sharply in the football rankings after reaching the final of the 2017 Gold Cup where they lost 2-1 to a late goal against hosts USA. The Americans began their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Panama who also went through from a group that saw Martinique shock Nicaragua 2-0 while Canada progressed from group A behind Costa Rica thanks to a 4-2 victory over French Guiana. The Jamaicans, who had put 2 past Curacao, held Mexico to a goalless draw and after a 2-1 quarter-final win against Canada defeated Mexico 1-0 to set up the final against their American hosts.