Antonio’s wonder strike earns point for Jamaica against US

CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying for Qatar 2022 continued on Tuesday with Jamaica and the United States fighting to a 1-1 draw at the National Stadium in Kingston, the Jamaican capital.

The draw snapped the North Americans’ four-match winning streak against Jamaica in World Cup qualification since a 2-1 Jamaica win on Sept. 7, 2012, CONCACAF said.

“The teams traded beautiful individual goals in the first half to account for all of the scoring,” it said.

CONCACAF said the US took a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute when winger Timothy Weah played the ball to Ricardo Pepi near the top of the box, “and then got the ball back, taking a pair of touches and finishing from a difficult angle for the first goal of the match.”

In the 22nd minute, however, Jamaica was level 1-1, “as Michail Antonio squirmed away from US MF Tyler Adams and lashed a shot from well outside the 18-yard area that went blazing past US GK Zack Steffen and into net,” CONCACAF said.

“The gorgeous goal was the second consecutive match in which Antonio has scored,” it said.

The draw ran Jamaica’s undefeated streak in the final round of World Cup qualification to four matches, while the US has avoided defeat in its last three, CONCACAF said.

It said the players won’t play in qualification again until Jan. 27, when the United States hosts El Salvador, and Jamaica welcomes Mexico.