Young Reggae Boyz defeat French Guiana 7-1 to win CFU U14 Challenge
Jamaica won the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Under-14 Tier 1 Challenge tournament, coming from behind to batter French Guiana 7-1 in the final played at the Dwight York Stadium in Trinidad on Sunday.
Carlondo Morris bagged a hat-trick while Kelvin DJ Brown grabbed a brace as the young Reggae Boyz stormed back from a half-time deficit and blitzed the hapless French Guiana team in a dominant second half display.
It was Jamaica’s sixth win of the tournament, throughout which they scored 25 goals and conceded just two – one against French Guiana and another in the semi-final 3-1 win over Puerto Rico on Friday.
The Andrew Peart-coached team also dominated the individual awards with Marcodean Spence being named best goal keeper, Brown winning the award for top goal scorer and Davion Clarke taking home the trophy for the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Matheo Francois gave French Guiana the lead in the 21st minute when he beat Spence from about 20 yards, looping the ball over the head of the Jamaican custodian and just under the cross bar into the back of the net.
However, as they did against Puerto Rico in the previous game, the young Jamaicans hit back decisively in the second half.
Brown, who came on in the second half, levelled the scores in the 40th minute when he finished off a move he started, scoring from just inside the six yards box. It was all Jamaica afterwards as Morris put Jamaica ahead in the 52nd with a sweetly timed left foot volley from a cross from Kyle Hussey on the left wing.
Brown provided the third goal with a delightful chip over goalkeeper Hugo Sante in the 54th minute and Morris copied him with another chip in the 58th minute before completing his hat-trick with another left footed gem in the 61st minute to make the score 5-1.
Two second half substitutes provided the other two goals, Samuel Taylor scoring the sixth goal in the 63rd minute from close range before Jaedan Brown-Hanniford got the seventh in the 68th minute.
-Paul A Reid