The Sergio Markarian era has produced two immediate and pleasing results for Peru’s national soccer team fans.

Behind a pro-Peru crowd of approximately 10,000, Peru defeated Jamaica at Lockhart Stadium. Jose Carlos Fernandez broke a 1-1 tie with a go-ahead goal in the 84th minute as Peru won its second match in four days under Markarian. Markarian, who took over the team in July, guided Peru to a 2-0 victory over Canada Saturday night.

Fernandez, the match’s last substitute, in the 82nd minute, Fernandez received Juan Manuel Vargas’ pass deep in the left area of the 6-yard box and beat Jamaica goalkeeper Dwayne Miller with a shot that landed in the far post.

The match seemed headed to a 1-1 tie after both teams traded goals within a 15-minute span early in the first half.

Peru struck first on an own goal by Jamaica’s Demar Phillips in the fourth minute. Peru’s Juan Manuel Vargas took a shot near the penalty area, which Phillips accidentally headed into the goal.

Jamaica tied the score 15 minutes later on Omar Cummings’ goal. A forward with the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, Cummings took Jason Morrison’s short pass and converted on a shot near the half circle which landed inside the left post.

Coral Springs resident Teofilo “Nene” Cubillas was honored during a halftime ceremony for his stellar career with Peru’s national team in the 1970s and early 1980s. Cubillas, 61, also had a successful run with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the defunct North American Soccer League between 1979 and 1983

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Bradford winger Omar Daley won his 57th international cap for Jamaica after appearing in his country’s 1-0 friendly win over Costa Rica on Sunday.

The 29-year-old stepped off the substitutes’ bench in the second half as the Reggae Boyz edged out their rivals at the National Stadium in Kingston.

It was the first time Daley had appeared for Jamaica since February 2009 when he sustained a career-threatening injury.

Daley, who damaged both his lateral and cruciate knee ligaments, which sidelined him for 10 months, is hoping to play a bigger role for the Reggae Boyz when they face Peru in Fort Lauderdale in another friendly on Tuesday.

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Andy Murray breezed to a straight sets victory over Dustin Brown to secure a place in the third round of the US Open.

The fourth seed was pressured by the free-swinging Jamaican at times during the first set but then brushed his opponent aside on the way to a 7-5 6-3 6-0 win.

Brown lived up to his flamboyant reputation and gave his lively group of supporters some fleeting moments of promise, but he rarely troubled the Murray serve.

After comfortably closing out the contest on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the British number one now faces a clash with either Juan Ignacio Chela or Stanislas Wawrinka in round three.

After both players held serve in the early stages, play was briefly suspended as the rain that had been forecast due to Hurricane Earl started to fall.

Murray had already lost two of his three challenges for the set in Brown’s opening service game after disputing two of the Jamaican’s aces.
Delay

Play was only delayed by around 25 minutes, with Brown picking up where he left off and firing down several thumping serves and forehands when the match resumed.

But the world number 123 was not able to gain a foothold in Murray’s service games and it was the Scot who gained the crucial break.

Two forehand winners brought up two set points in the 12th game and although Brown saved the first with an ace, he then sent a forehand into the net to hand the set to Murray.

The world number four then firmly put himself in the driving seat, racing into a 5-0 lead in the second set as Brown dropped his serve twice more.

But the 25-year-old held to avoid a whitewash before hitting back with a break of his own after two huge forehands, although he was too far behind to save the set.

Murray served out to love to secure a two-set lead as there seemed no way that Brown would be able to mount a comeback.

Indeed, Brown would not win another game as Murray cruised through the third set, breaking serve three times and completing the victory in only one hour and 25 minutes

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JAMAICA’S senior netballers crashed 42-53 to England in the first game of the two-Test 2010 Sunshine Series at the National Indoor Sports Centre (NISC) last night.

The Jamaicans drew first blood as the returning Romelda Aiken was quick to the draw, a shadow of the former non-assertive player before her days in the highly-competitive ANZ Championships.

Jamaica’s goal-attack Simone Forbes (right) battles England’s Geva Mentor for a loose ball during the first match of their two-Test series at the National Indoor Sports Centre last night. England won the game, (Photo: Jermaine Barnaby)

The teams were fairly evenly-matched at the outset, but unlike previous years when fitness was a clear issue, last night the Sunshine Girls were plagued by unforced errors.

Their struggle to get the ball to its intended target left some spectators watching in bewilderment as passes meant for team members went flying off court.

It helped England take an eight-point lead before the midway point and after taking the first quarter, 13-10, they were up 27-19 at the end of the second.

Centre Paula Thompson looks heir apparent to Nadine Bryan who must be close to the end of her international career, while the once-sprightly English goal-attack Pamela Cookey looked decidedly out of sorts while yet managing to lead the scoring.

Substituted newcomer Jhanelle Fowler helped the Jamaicans reduce a deficit which had gone up to 10 points within minutes of the start of the third quarter, but it was a yo-yo affair as the Sunshine Girls started to let it slide and were down by as many as 12 points before Fowler dragged them back to within 10 points as the English girls led after the third quarter, 41-28.

It was England’s 14th victory against the Jamaicans in 25 matches played in the last 19 years.

Jamaica — Romelda Aiken (GS) (Jhanelle Fowler), Simone Forbes (GA) Ana Kay Griffith, Nadine Bryan (WA), Paula Thompson (C), Georgia Gordon (WD), Althea Byfield (GK) , Kasey Evering (GD).

Substitutes: Malysha Kelly, Sasher Gaye Henry, Kimone Tulloch, Anna Kay Griffith, Jhanelle Fowler.

Coach: Connie Francis,

England — Jo Harten (GS) (Rachel Dunn), Pamela Cookey (GA), Tamsin Greenway (WA), Sara Bayman (C) (Karen Atkinson), Jade Clarke (WD), Sonia Mkoloma (GD) (Stacey Francis), Geva Mentor (GK)

Substitutes: Rachel Dunn, Rosie Allison, Karen Atkinson, Stacey Francis, Eboni Beckford-Chambers

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Jamaican tennis player Dustin Brown created history a short while ago for the nation when he won his first round men’s singles match at the US Open.

Brown became the first Jamaican to do so.

Brown who is ranked 113 in the world beat Ruben Hidalgo of Spain, ranked 91, in three straight sets 6-4, 7-6, 7-5.

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1. GAY Tyson USA 9,92 MR
2. CARTER Nesta JAM 10,07
3. RODGERS Michael USA 10,14
4. FRATER Michael JAM 10,17
5. SAIDY NDURE Jaysuma NOR 10,21
6. ARMSTRONG Aaron TRI 10,24
7. SAMUELS J-Mee USA 10,28
8. EDWARDS Rae Monzavous USA 10,32

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OLYMPIC 4×100 metres relay gold medallist Nesta Carter continued his awesome form when he lowered his season-best from 9.86 seconds to 9.85, as he finished second in the men’s 100 metres at the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meeting in Belgium yesterday.

With the absence of training partner Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt from the event, the race, which included three other Jamaicans, was still expected to be a cracker as it included world leader Tyson Gay of the United States, along with American Trell Kimmons, Daniel Bailey of Antigua and Richard Thompson from Trinidad and Tobago.

From a local standpoint, most attention surrounded Carter and the in-form Yohan Blake, who was hoping to defeat Carter for the first time.

The athletes had to face the starter twice as the race was called back. Strangely, none of the athletes were penalised for a false start.

On the second occasion, Carter got a flying start and led for majority of the way before he was overtaken towards the end by a fast-finishing Gay, who got left in the blocks.

The American still clocked a fast 9.79 seconds for the win, just outside his world-leading and season-best of 9.78s, as Blake, who once again got out of the blocks slow, finished third in 9.91s.

Blake’s training partner, Mario Forsythe, finished sixth in 10.12s, while World Junior champion Dexter Lee equalled his winning world junior time of 10.21 seconds to finish eighth

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Jamaican 7-footer Jerome Jordan(notes) was drafted in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks this year and then traded in July to the New York Knicks for cash considerations.

But the Knicks don’t seem to be very interested in signing Jordan. According to The Hoops Market, Jordan hasn’t received an offer from the Knicks and is planning to sign with Hemofarm in Serbia.

For the University of Tulsa, the 23-year-old averaged 15.4 points and 9.1 rebounds during his senior year.

Jordan, who only took up the game seriously at age 17, holds the Conference USA career blocks record with 322.

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USAIN Bolt has called an end to his 2010 track season following an injury to his lower back.

The decision, announced in a statement issued by his manager Ricky Simms today, follows last week’s disappointing loss in the 100 metres to American rival Tyson Gay.

“I am very disappointed to miss two of the top meetings on the circuit … but trust that it is better for me not to take any risks this year,” Bolt said. “2011 and 2012 are very important Championship years and I hope to be back fully fit and healthy. I would like to thank everyone for their support and look forward to coming back stronger next year.”

Simms said Bolt was examined yesterday by a doctor in Munich who found the back problem.

“He has a tightness that restricts his ability to generate power in his stride and continuing to race in this condition could risk injury to his hamstrings or calf muscles,” Simms wrote.

Bolt’s manager said the decision to take a break was made “with a view to his future career.”

Simms also said that an MRI exam showed that a previous left Achilles’ tendon injury is healed.

Bolt hadn’t lost an individual race in two years until Friday, when Gay beat him at the DN Galan meet in Stockholm. Gay ran 9.84 seconds, and Bolt finished in 9.97.

Afterward, even Gay acknowledged he wasn’t racing against a fit Bolt.

“I’m really happy with the win,” Gay said at the time, “even though Usain Bolt isn’t in the best shape.”

When the 6-foot-5 Bolt is at his best, no one comes close to him. And no one else in his sport is as big a draw.

“He is the most known athlete we currently have, and he’s definitely someone that the public asks for,” said Patrick Magyar, the director of Zurich’s Weltklasse meet and vice chairman of the Diamond League. “If he was just not in the best of shape, he would still have come, but he is obviously at risk of hurting his body — and nobody wants that to happen.”

The Jamaican stole the show on the track at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning gold medals and breaking the world records in the 100 and 200 sprints, as well as the 400 relay. None of the finals in those events was even close, and Bolt began his celebration in the dash before it was done, stretching out his arms with palms up, then slapping his chest.

He followed that up at last year’s world championships in Berlin by lowering his marks in the 100 to 9.58 seconds and in the 200 to 19.19.

“Usain’s had such an enormous impact on track and field. … It’s regrettable he can’t be there,” said Bob Verbeeck, CEO of the Brussels meet. “We wish Usain a fast recovery.”

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Running 9.84s, Tyson Gay has registered his first win over Usain Bolt who came in second in a time of 9.97s. Rounding out the top three was Richard Thompson in a time of 10.10s. Asafa Powell was scheduled to run in the same race but withdrew due to back injury.

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