Cubans trash Lady Jags 8-0 en route to topping Group D

CONCACAF U-17 World Cup Qualifiers

By Michelangelo Jacobus

A scintillating Cuban performance on the back of a helmet-trick from striker Cecil Tamayo and a brace from electrifying winger Elianne Sarmiento ensured that they eased past Guyana, scoring 8 goals without reply in the third Group ‘D’ CONCACAF U-17 World Cup qualifying match played at the National Track and Field Facility at Leonora on Sunday evening.
This means that they now automatically qualify atop Group D with four points and a superior goal difference to that of Barbados, who also have four points.
Needing at least five goals and a clean sheet as well, the Cubans came out with real purpose and showed good attacking intent; while the U-17 Lady Jags, to their credit, defended stoutly.
They (Guyana) were solid in defense and had one real chance of scoring in the 15th minute which they failed to convert.
However, Cuba continued threatening, and eventually broke Guyana’s resistance in the 23rd minute through the superbly skilful Elianne Surmiento, who placed the ball expertly in the top corner to put her team in front.
Just two minutes later, Cuban Captain Amanda Dominguez added another through a deflected shot that trickled past the scrambling Guyanese custodian to nestle in the back of the net.
The Lady Jags seemed as though they would not concede any other goals for the remainder of the half, but that was not to be as Surmiento rounded off a well-played team effort with a shot from point blank range to make it 3-0 in injury time (45+minutes).
As the second half resumed, it was more of the same, as there was wave after wave of attack from the Cubans, which Guyana managed to repel, until the Cuban striker Tamayo took it upon herself to trigger a second half drubbing with four goals.
The first of those four goals came in the 62nd minute when the Cuban Number 9 cut in from the left flank, dribbling past two Guyanese defenders before sweetly striking the ball past the hapless keeper to spark celebrations.

She continued her fine form in the 73rd minute when she got on the end of a through ball on the right flank, and produced the simplest of far post finishes. Tamayo, who plays with the style of a “pure striker”, completed her hat-trick in the 76th minute when she got on the end of a cross, to fire home from point blank range.
Two minutes later, in the 78th minute, Tamayo added her fourth; while teammate Sulenys Ponce Barrios got in on the act in the 81st minute to pile more misery on the dejected Guyanese.
Cuba needed to score at least 5 goals without conceding if they were to qualify ahead of Barbados, and at the post-match press conference, four-goal heroine Cecil Tamayo said she was “proud of her team and the way they played, as they went out there and did what they had to do.” Head Coach for the Cuban outfit, Lazaro Ruis, maintained that he always believed in the team and the players. He said he was satisfied with the result, and pointed out that he would continue to work on their mistakes as they move forward in their world cup qualifying campaign.