KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Reggae Boyz are through to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup after beating St Kitts/Nevis 5-0 in their final group game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday.

Jamaica, who were scoring their biggest Gold Cup win, finished second in Group A to the USA on goal-difference after the defending championships blanked Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 in their game played in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Both teams finished with seven points but the Americans had the better goal-difference of 12 to Jamaica’s eight.

It was the ninth win for the ReggaeBoyz over St Kitts/Nevis’ ‘SugarBoys’ with Jonathon Russell and DiShon Bernard both scoring their first goals for Jamaica- both playing their second game.

Jamaica led 2-0 at half time after an own goal from the St Kitts/Nevis goalkeeper Julani Archibald in the 30th minute and Russell two minutes into first half stoppage time.

Bernard over-overlapped from his centre-half position to get the team’s third, when he controlled with his back to the goal, pivoted before firing home a left footer into the lower right corner of the goal.

Second half substitutes Daniel Johnson and Corey Burke scored within two minutes to round out the score; Johnson fired home a rebound from the St Kitts/Nevis goalkeeper to make it 4-0 in the 72nd minute with his third goal for Jamaica and Burke finished off a cross from Shamar Nicholson in the 74th minute.

– Paul A Reid