Jamaica vs. Mexico: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Mexico traveled to Kingston and picked up three critical points for their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign after a 1-0 win against Jamaica.

The first half came and went with very little action. Javier Hernandez had a shot on goal in the 33rd minute, but Donovan Ricketts was there to knock it out for the corner. Aldo De Nigris also had a header opportunity, but he put it in the center of the goal, and Ricketts was able to make the save.

Despite the talent disparity, it was Jamaica who looked much better in the first half and more proactive in their strategy. Give credit to Theodore Whitmore as he was thoroughly outfoxing Jose Manuel de la Torre. Although the pitch wasn't all that big, he was managing to create space for his team and spread out Mexico.

When it came to finish off any moves, though, Jamaica lacked any teeth. Their best moves amounted to nothing.

American soccer expert Jason Davis was complimentary of Jamaica as well:

Perhaps what was the most surprising about the first half was how little Mexico threatened in the attacking third. El Tri have only scored two goals in their three "Hex" matches coming into Tuesday and didn't have an encouraging start against Jamaica.

Their passing was sloppy, and they weren't helping Javier Hernandez up top. Chicharito is a fantastic finisher, but he's not the kind of striker who can pick the ball up in midfield and run at the defense. His midfield was really letting him and the team down.

ESPN's Max Bretos singled out Andres Guardado as an underwhelming performer:

After looking so ineffective for 45 minutes, it didn't take long for Mexico to open the scoring in the second half.

In the 48th minute, Carlos Salcido got into some space on the left flank and delivered a left-footed cross into the box. It found the head of De Nigris who fired home a powerful header past a hopeless Ricketts. It was a nice, yet very simple goal.

The immediate improvement from Mexico might have had something to do with De La Torre's halftime team talk. Soccer blogger Ives Galarcep thought the manager looked to have released some anger before the second half got underway:

Getting that goal was a huge lift for Mexico. It allowed the pressure to come off, and the team could be much more assured in possession. They wouldn't have to keep looking for that all-important goal every time they had the ball. Their attacks could be much more measured and effective rather than rushed and hectic.

Once Mexico got their goal, Jamaica never looked like they were going to get one back. Their best hope was to keep a clean sheet and sneak a goal somewhere. Going 1-0 down meant the Reggae Boyz would have to chase the game, and they simply didn't have the horses to get the job done.

Ryan Johnson and Jermaine Beckford were threats up top, but you never got the feeling this would end as anything other than a Mexico win.

The Shin Guardian's Matthew T put it best:

Jamaica had a golden chance to score off a corner in the 73rd minute. Marvin Elliott had an open shot at the goal as Jose de Jesus Corona had slipped. Elliott's header went wide of goal, and so went any hope the Reggae Boyz would equalize.

This is the first win for Mexico in the "Hex," and it will get the pressure off De La Torre's back a little bit. El Tri now moves to the top of the group, but has a game in hand, so their stay may be short-lived.

Player Grades

Aldo De Nigris: B+

Coming into the match, it seemed like Javier Hernandez was going to be the hero. Instead, it was De Nigris. His header for the Mexico goal was fantastic. De Nigris put it right in the center of the goal, but it was so powerful that the goalkeeper had no chance.

After a performance like that, it will be hard for De La Torre to keep De Nigris out of the lineup. It was just a shame that De Nigris was subbed off. Otherwise, he may have been able to find another goal.

Carlos Salcido: B

Salcido can thank Alvas Powell, who was dreadful at right-back. Although the pitch got a bit congested at times, Salcido and Guardado had plenty of opportunity to run down the left flank in the second half.

Salcido's delivery for the De Nigris goal was superb. He put just enough pace on it, and the placement was perfect.

Donovan Ricketts: B+

Ricketts was massive for Jamaica. You can't really fault him for the loss, as there was nothing he could do on the De Nigris goal.

Aside from that one play, Ricketts was always there to make key saves. Mexico could easily have had two or three goals were it not for the performance of the 35-year-old goalkeeper.

Ryan Johnson: C+

It was a bit of a surprise to see Johnson taken off in the 63rd minute. Up until he was subbed off, Johnson was the best thing Jamaica had going. It's understandable that Whitmore would want to change things up to try and unlock Mexico's defense, but that didn't seem the best move.

Should he have stayed on, maybe Johnson could have found an equalizer, but Jamaica was poor overall in the attack. Johnson alone wouldn't have been able to change that.

Jamaica Grades

Player	Grade
Donovan Ricketts	B+
Daniel Gordon	C-
O'Brian Woodbine	C
Alvas Powell	D
Adrian Mariappa	C-
Marvin Elliott	C
Je-Vaughn Watson (off '63)	C
Rodolph Austin (off '77)	C
Jermaine Hue	C+
Garath McCleary	C
Ryan Johnson (off '63)	C+
Substitutes
Darren Mattocks	C-
Jermaine Beckford	C+
Keanmar Daley	C

Mexico Grades

Player	Grade
Jose de Jesus Corona	B+
Francisco Rodriguez	C+
Carlos Salcido	B
Diego Reyes	C+
Severo Meza	B-
Gerardo Torrado	B-
Pablo Barrera (off '59)	C+
Jesus Zavala	B
Andres Guardado	B
Aldo De Nigris (off '67)	B+
Javier Hernandez (off '86)	C
Substitutes
Gerardo Flores	C
Giovani dos Santos	C+
Raul Jimenez	INC

What's Next

Mexico will travel to Panama City on Friday to take on Panama for an important qualifying match. Following that is another big match with Costa Rica next Tuesday. El Tri should have a much easier with that one as it's in the friendly confines of the Estadio Azteca. Getting a win in Jamaica was huge toward getting the qualifying train back on track.

The loss means Jamaica will remain at the bottom of the CONCACAF "Hex." The Reggae Boyz have only played four matches, but it's hard to see them clawing into the top four. They welcome in the United States on Friday and travel to Honduras on Tuesday.