Defending champions Jamaica and Guadeloupe will clash in today's final of the Digicel Caribbean Cup here after carving out hard-working victories in the semifinals on Friday night. The Reggae Boyz, heavy favourites to repeat as title-holders, needed a goal from Troy Smith in added extra time to beat a stubborn Grenada 2-1 while Guadeloupe were forced to come from behind to hammer out a similar verdict over Cuba. Guadeloupe's triumph represents the first time the French side have reached the finals of the Caribbean's premier football tournament, but they will now start as underdogs against a confident Jamaica side who are still unbeaten.
Grenada, however, almost ended that winning streak as they produced a solid performance to nearly spring perhaps the upset of the Finals. Their talismanic striker Kithson Bain provided the equaliser on 13 minutes after Major League Soccer star Dane Richards had opened the scoring from the Reggae Boys six minutes earlier. Grenada then defended stoutly, while causing some problems of their own in the Jamaica defence, and scores were locked at the end of regular time. Smith then became the hero when he poked home from close range to end to end Grenada's resistance. Entering the game as heavy favourites, Jamaica were forced to defend in the early stages as a spunky Grenada had the first chance of the game with a free kick from about 30 yards out. With their first real attack of the game, however, Jamaica put themselves in front. A long ball out of the back picked out Ryan Johnson on the right whose defence-splitting pass found Richards.
The New York Red Bulls frontman then clinically beat Grenada custodian Andre Baptiste from 10 yards out. Despite finding energy from the goal, Jamaica conceded just minutes later. Bain controlled nicely on the edge of the area before unleashing a powerful shot that beat Dwayne Miller low to his left. Both teams then squandered chances as Bain just shot wide in the 37th minute while Luton Shelton was late in arriving for Rodolph Austin's cross at the far post, and Baptiste cleared the danger. Jamaica should have been back in front after 48 minutes when another MLS star Omar Cummings was put through on goal. He beat Baptiste but defender Shanon Philip charged back to clear the ball off the line. In one way traffic, the Reggae Boyz rattled the crossbar through Richards in the 58th minute and Shaun Francis' mesmerised the Grenadian defence in the 67th before having his effort thwarted.
Smith, a 72nd minute substitute for Francis, then settled Jamaica's nerves in the first period of extra time when he knocked in Austin's cross from the right. In the other semi-final, Cuba took the lead in the 34th minute when Reysandri Cervantez smashed home from near point blank range, thanks to a great right-sided free kick from captain Jaine Valencia. The goal was apt reward for Cuba's domination of the first half but it was as much as they would get, as the French came roaring back in the second half. Ten minutes back after the break, they were back on level terms but in controversial fashion. Cervantez appeared to beat midfielder Ludovic Gotin to an aerial ball in the box but the referee ruled the attacker had been fouled and awarded a penalty, much to the shock of the Cubans. Gregory Gendrey calmly slotted home to pull Guadeloupe level and blow the game wide open. Jean Luc Lamboude then found the winner 12 minutes from the end when his thunderous swerving free kick from 35 yards out proved too much for Cuban goalkeeper Odelin Molina Hernandez. (CMC)