LAS VEGAS: Seventeen-year-old Kendry Páez scored in first-half stoppage time, Alan Minda added another goal late in the second half, and Ecuador beat winless Jamaica 3-1 on Wednesday night in the Copa America.
Ecuador, rebounding from a 2-1 loss to Venezuela, won its first Copa America game since a 4-0 victory over Haiti in 2016, ending an eight-game winless streak.
Jamaica became the first team eliminated from the 16-nation tournament when Venezuela beat Mexico 1-0 later on Wednesday.
Kasey Palmer’s 13th-minute own goal put Ecuador ahead, and Páez made it 2-0 with a penalty kick in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time. Michail Antonio scored Jamaica’s first Copa America goal in the 54th, and Minda got the final goal in the first minute of second-half stoppage time.
Venezuela has six points and clinched a quarterfinal berth, while Mexico and Ecuador have three points each. Ecuador closes Group B against Mexico at Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, when Jamaica faces Venezuela.
Jamaica is 0-8 over three Copas, getting outscored 12-1.
Ecuador went ahead when Piero Hincapié centered the ball from near the corner flag, and it deflected off a sliding defender Palmer and over backpedaling goalkeeper Jahmali Waite.
Páez, the youngest player in the tournament at 17 years and 1 1/2 months, scored his second international goal after Chilean referee Cristián Garay called a handball on Reggae Boyz defender Greg Leigh following a video review.
Antonio scored after Palmer’s corner kick bounced to Ethan Pinnock. His shot hit the back of defender William Pacho, ricocheted off Hincapié, and bounced toward Antonio. He swiveled, turned his torso, and volleyed the ball in off goalkeeper Alexander Domínguez’s right post for Antonio’s fourth goal in 16 appearances.
Garay decided not to award a penalty kick after another video review in the 75th. Michael Hector toepoked the ball, and it appeared to hit an arm and the head of Ecuador’s Alan Franco.
Minda broke in alone on Waite in a counterattack following a Jamaica corner kick and slotted a shot past Waite for his first goal in six appearances, fed by a Carlos Gruezo pass.
