CONCACAF Women’s Championships: Guyana suffer 2nd 5-0 defeat, but still through to knockout round

In a must-win-or-draw game, Guyana’s under-20 women’s team, the U20 Lady Jags, buckled under the pressure of high expectations and went down by another 5-0 margin, this time to their counterparts from Panama.
For the encounter against Panama, held at the Olympico Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo, Dominica Republic, Head Coach Paul DeAbreu opted for a starting Xl which included Goalkeeper Arden La Rose, who missed out on the second Group F game against Mexico; Jessica Myers, Hasha Holder, Jenea Knight, Shamva Daniels, Dilane Makarawski, Inari Moore, Kiana Khedoo, Valentina Khan and Audrey Narine. Taking the reins as Captain was Samantha Banfield.
The must-win match for Guyana became a nightmare almost immediately when a gentle connection with the ball from Hasha Holder during a Panama set piece resulted in an own goal in the 2nd minute of the game.
The lead was soon extended to 2-0 by Panama’s Hilary Jaén in the 8th minute. With another shot coming in from the corner, Jaén got boot on ball after a few passes in front of the goal and sank the goal.
In fact, most of Panama’s goals came by way of set pieces from the corners. The third began in similar fashion, but this time around, Shayari Camarena was perfectly positioned to redirect the ball with a header in the 40th.
Just before the half ended, Guyana glimpsed their first real chance of adding their name to the scoresheet, but Samantha Banfield’s free kick try was inches away from finding itself in goal, hitting the cross bar instead.
Panama did not let up in the second segment, but continued to back Guyana into a corner.
Elizabeth Vásquez, in the 54th, reminded Guyana of what they were dealing with, as she added another to the tally. Vásquez couldn’t be kept out of the game’s excitement, and was back soon enough, on this occasion with assistance for Camarena, and they waved through Guyana’s defense on their way to Panama’s fifth goal.
Camerena’s shot went off the crossbar, but unlike Banfield’s try, the ball ricocheted into the goal.
In spite of Guyana’s dismal performance in the last two group games, the Lady Jags will live to play another day, after finishing third in their group. Mexico’s victory over Honduras on Wednesday night ensured that Guyana would remain at third in the group, behind Mexico and Panama.
With the top three teams from each group progressing, four teams from last year’s qualifiers would join the Championships for the straight knockout Round of 16. (Jemima Holmes)