Despite allowing long-distance equalizer late in stoppage time, the Jamaican National Team advanced out of Group C and is headed to Philadelphia for a quarterfinal matchup in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup.
The 1-1 result against Curacao might have left the team with just a single point but coupled with Honduras 4-0 beatdown of El Salvador, the Reggae Boyz finished top of the group and extended its group stage unbeaten streak in the tournament to 13 games.
Shamar Nicholson put the Reggae Boyz ahead early in the contest at Banc of California Stadium with a 14th-minute strike. With manager Theodore Whitmore opting to rest four of his front six, Jamaica were unable to convert high-scoring opportunities that allowed Curacao to stay alive in the match and set up the thrilling conclusion from Jurien Gaari. The equalizer came from 28-yards-out that pushed the country to the quarterfinals for the first time.
Jamaica now heads to Philadelphia and will face off against the loser of Wednesday night's Group D finale between the United States and Panama. The winner will play Curacao.
