Guyana ease past Honduras 2-0 in CONCACAF Women’s U20 Championships

Guyana’s under-20 women’s team the U20 Lady Jags got their CONCACAF Women’s Under 20 Championship campaign off to a stellar start with a 2-0victory over Honduras on Saturday afternoon.
Out of Guyana’s 18-woman squad, Head Coach Paul DeAbreu opted for a starting lineup which comprised Captain Jenea Knight, Arden La Rose (Goalkeeper), Jessica Myers, Hasha Holder, Savannah Mordesir-Singh, Rory Scott, Samantha Banfield, Kiana Khedoo, Jessica Jagdeo, Shamya Daniels and Audrey Narine.
Make no mistake, Guyana’s win surely did not come easy, especially with Honduras approaching the encounter with a heavy midfield and defense. However, Guyana was tactical enough to stay afloat in the high-paced encounter.
For much of the first half, Honduras controlled possession, and had quite a few opportunities to find the back of the net; however, offside positioning and off-target shots were their enemies, as they went goalless.
It was Samantha Banfield who really got the party started when she took a calculated shot from well outside the 18-yard box, directing it at the goal. Banfield’s shot glided over the head of the defense and the Honduran goalkeeper Ashley Fonseca, who leaped backwards in an attempt to get her hands on the ball. It was not to be, as Banfield’s shot signalled Guyana’s first goal in the 45th+4, giving the Lady Jags the lead heading into the second half.
When the action recommenced, Guyana’s goalie Arden La Rose worked overtime to keep the scores at 1-0. One of her most notable saves came in the 70th, as she dived to her right to keep a Larissa Arias shot out of the goal.
A confusing mix-up in the 88th almost brought the scores even, when La Rose lost her footing while trying to save another shot. A foul on La Rose eventually saved the day for Guyana in that instance.
In the dying minutes of the game, Audrey Narine took a kick of faith to increase Guyana’s winning margin when she embraced a golden opportunity.
Thinking her defense had the ball under control, Honduran goalkeeper Fonseca rushed out of her goal area to collect a pass. However, Narine was quick enough to get to the ball first, aiming it at and guard-less goal. With three defenders and Fonseca giving chase, the ball eventually made it to its destination for Guyana’s second goal.
The 2-0 victory for the Guyanese Under-20 Women will do well to assist them in moving past the group stage of the Championships. The Lady Jags will next come up against Mexico on Monday, February 28th, at 7pm local time.
When these two teams last met, Guyana went down to Mexico 3-0 in a similar Group stage of the Under-20 Championships in 2020. However, it was Guyana’s only loss in the group stage on that occasion.