Dynamo midfielder Lovel Palmer and the Jamaican national team won a second consecutive Digicel Caribbean Cup title Sunday night with a shootout win over Guadeloupe in Fort-de-France, Martinique. Palmer had gone the distance in three of the previous four matches, and he came on as a substitute Sunday night. The top four teams from the Caribbean Cup qualify for next sumer's CONCACAF Gold Cup, to be held in the United States.
In Sunday's final, Jamaica got a goal in the 32nd minute from Colorado Rapids forward Omar Cummings in the 1-1 draw.Cummings scored his sixth career goal with the Reggae Boyz thanks to a twisting shot from the six-yard line after a header from teammate Luton Shelton drifted across the goalmouth.
Cummings logged a full 120 minutes but did not take shot in the penalty shootout. Sporting Kansas City defender Shavar Thomas captained Jamaica in the title game and played the full 120 minutes, while New York Red Bulls midfielder Dane Richards also went the full 120. Palmer came on in the 68th minute but did not participate in the shootout. For the tournament, Palmer played 352 of Jamaica's 510 minutes, which all came in a nine-day span.
Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear was in attendance for the final three days and four games of the tournament, seeing Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Cuba, and Grenada twice each.
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Stephane Auvray played the full 90 minutes for Guadeloupe. Auvray’s Sporting teammate Craig Rocastle also played the full 90 minutes in the third-place match for Grenada, but Cuba came away with a 1-0 win.
