Jamaica beats Haiti 1 0 on Barnes’ goal, will play US in CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal

BALTIMORE (AP)_ Houston Dynamo forward Giles Barnes scored in the seventh minute, and Jamaica beat Haiti 1-0 Saturday night to reach its first CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal since 1998.

Trying to advance to the championship game for the first time, the Reggae Boyz will play the defending champion United States in Atlanta on Wednesday.

In the first Gold Cup knockout stage match between Caribbean opponents, Jamaica was missing Vancouver forward Darren Mattocks and Dallas midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson, both suspended for yellow card accumulation

The Reggae Boyz often played 11 men behind the ball, and goalkeeper Ryan Thompson got Jamaica’s third straight shutout following an opening 2-2 tie against Costa Rica.

Kervins Belfort missed just wide with a diving header that could have tied the score in second-half stoppage time.

Jamaica won a quarterfinal match for the first time. Back in 1998, it went straight from the group stage to the semifinals, where it lost to Mexico 1-0.

The Reggae Boyz went ahead when Crystal Palace’s Adrian Mariappa ran toward the goal line and cut the ball back to Barnes, who took a touch and scored his second international goal. Barnes’ shot, from the edge of the 6-yard box at an acute angle, deflected off the inside right ankle of goalkeeper Johnny Placide, between his legs and into the goal.

Barnes, who turs 27 next month, was born in London and played for England’s Under-19 team before switching his allegiance to Jamaica.