Toronto FC teenager Jahmarie Nolan assists on Jamaica debut in Nations League win
The 16-year-old TFC prospect set up a goal after coming off the bench in Jamaica's Concacaf Nations League victory over El Salvador.
SAN SALVADOR · Toronto FC prospect Jahmarie Nolan made an immediate impact in his senior international debut, providing an assist in Jamaica's 2-0 win over El Salvador in Concacaf Nations League A play on Friday. The 16-year-old entered the match as a substitute in the 57th minute at Estadio Cuscatlán. Minutes later, Nolan won a 50-50 challenge on the edge of the box and slid the ball across the penalty area to Javon East, who finished into the roof of the net for his second goal of the game. The victory lifted Jamaica into second place in their group.
El Salvador played a man down for most of the match after defender Rudy Clavel was sent off in the 20th minute. Liga MX referee Adonai Escobedo González was steps away when Clavel clattered through East from behind, pulling out the red card from his back pocket almost instantly. Despite the numerical advantage, Jamaica did not open the scoring until the 39th minute, when a defensive error allowed East to tap in the first goal. Clavel's centre-back partner Jorge Cruz failed to deal with a deep Reggae Boyz cross, allowing the ball to fall straight to East to apply the final touch.
Nolan's assist on the insurance marker sealed the win for the Reggae Boyz. His debut made him the youngest debutant for Jamaica, beating out fellow substitute Jamone Lyle, who is four months older than Nolan. The teenager's rise has been rapid since he became Toronto FC's youngest-ever signing at age 15. He played 19 times for Toronto FC II in MLS NEXT Pro in his first season and has recorded 10 goals and three assists in 23 games for the club's second team this year. Nolan has also earned three short-term call-ups to Toronto FC's first team to start the year.
His international ascent has been equally notable. Nolan won the Best Player Award after helping Jamaica's under-17 team qualify for the U-17 World Cup in February, scoring seven goals in six games. He followed that with nine goals in nine games for the under-20 side, including one against Canada in the Concacaf U-20 Championship quarterfinal in August. With Friday's result, Jamaica now sits second in Group B with six points from three matches, following a 3-2 win over Guatemala and a 1-0 loss to Honduras earlier in the window. The team is one point behind group leaders Suriname and two points ahead of third-place Guatemala, against whom they hold a head-to-head tiebreaker. Jamaica will conclude the group stage with an away match against Honduras. Based on the current standings, Jamaica would qualify for the tournament's quarterfinals in November as the second-best runner-up, setting up a two-legged series against top-seeded Mexico. Canada, as the third-best team in the Concacaf rankings, is slated to face the second-best group winner, which is currently Suriname.
With files from Waking The Red