Monday, June 6, 2011

Jamaica keeps Grenada winless

CARSON, Calif. -- Luton Shelton, Ryan Johnson, Demar Phillips and Keammar Daley scored to give Jamaica a 4-0 victory over Grenada on Monday night in a Group B Gold Cup match.

The margin of victory was Jamaica's largest in any Gold Cup game.

"I think we have a very good team and this is just the beginning for us," said Johnson, who plays for the San Jose Earthquakes. "I want Jamaica to go as far as possible in this tournament."

Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts did not need to make a save for the shutout. Ricketts was Major League Soccer's goalkeeper of the year last season with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"We did the most important thing," Johnson said, "and that was to keep a clean sheet."

Grenada coach Mike Adams said his team allowed Jamaica to take control.

"We had a game plan and from the (beginning) we didn't stick to it," Adams said. "We worked on pressuring the ball, denying the opposition time on the ball and from the (beginning) we weren't at the races.

"We just surrendered space and time to the opposition. At the international level, we can't afford to do that."

Shelton scored in the 21st minute on a 6-yard shot off Rodolph Austin's pass from the left side. Austin began the play with a corner kick to Shelton, who returned the ball to Austin.

Johnson scored in the 39th minute. Shelton began a counterattack with a through ball to Dane Richards, whose cross from the right side of the penalty area found Johnson for a 6-yard shot.

Phillips made it 3-0 in the 79th minute with an 8-yard shot. Daley converted a 23-yard line drive in the 84th minute.

Grenada is 0-4 in Gold Cup games since 2009 and has not scored.

Grenada's Craig Roscastle suffered a knee injury after colliding with Jamaica's Jason Morrison in the 42nd minute, and left the game at halftime.

Honduras played Guatemala in the second game of the doubleheader.

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