AUDLEY BOYD, ASSISTANT Editor - Sports

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania:

Jamaica's men's senior national football team is now in Philadelphia for tomorrow's final against Mexico in the CONCACAF Gold Cup at Lincoln Financial Field, beginning at 7:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. Jamaica time).

Both teams flew up on the same airline from Atlanta, where they had registered semi-final wins by a similar 2-1 margin.

The Winfried Schäfer-coached Jamaicans will play in the Gold Cup final for the first time, being the first Caribbean team to achieve that landmark. The Reggae Boyz also erased another historical footnote with their qualification, by defeating the United States on home soil for the first time ever.

In their semi-final against the United States, strikers Darren Mattocks (31st) and Giles Barnes (36th) scored goals five minutes apart for Jamaica, while Michael Bradley scored for the United States at the 48th minute.

"We're not finished, we've one more match. We cannot make a party now, we can play Bob Marley later," said Schäfer.

Meanwhile Mexico, with two penalty goals, scored a come from behind extra-time victory over Panama in a hot-tempered battle between the Central American countries.

Mexico have won the Gold Cup a record six times in the 12 tournaments that have already been played, with the United States winning five times and Canada once.

Losing semi-finalists, the United States and Panama, will battle for third in Philadelphia on Saturday.