Guyana’s national U17 girls’ team suffered their second, gut-wrenching loss in the CONCACAF U17 Qualifiers on Wednesday night, as group leaders Panama pulled off a slim 3-2 victory.
Guyana’s U17 girls’ team
Playing at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Guyana opted for a starting XI that included Captain Kimora Edwards, goalkeeper Jasmine Ross, Jaida Tucker, Whitney King, Alexaudria Chasles, Devi Sookdeo, Arianna Chin, Anaya Joseph, Avril Pasvolsky, Sydney Glean, and Naomi Benjamin.
Panama took hold of the lead early when Shaday Mow beat the Guyanese defence and found Guyana’s goa keeper Ross outside of the six-yard box. Mow needed only to tap the ball in for the goal in the second minute. Then, five minutes later, Isabella Rendino found Panama’s second with ease, capitalising off a set piece that was sent in from just outside the box.
The first half continued in exciting fashion as Guyana’s Pasvolsky, on an assist from Glean, found the back of the net with a shot across the face off the goal in the 12th minute.
Veronica Chatta (on ball) netted Guyana’s second goal
Both teams held out for the 2-1 score at the end of the half, but Panama would find their third, this time off the boots of Yasselis Magallon, who pushed in the incoming ball from the corner between the keeper and defender manning the net, in the 73rd minute.
Guyana’s Veronica Chatta was able to pull one back in the 83rd minute, making the most of a breakaway run to find the back of the net, but the 3-2 score stood at the end of 90 minutes.
Panama currently lead Group C with six points from two games; Cuba also have six points from two games. Meanwhile, both Guyana and Turks and Caicos have registered two losses in the competition.
Though Guyana’s chances of moving on to the next stage of the competition are shot, the Junior Lady Jags will play a final group match against Turks and Caicos Islands today, Friday, January 31 at 17:00h local time.
