Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago laid strong claims to supremacy in Group A of the Caribbean Football Union Women’s Under-20 Finals, with overpowering victories over Anguilla and Grenada respectively.
In the first match of the doubleheader at Waterhouse Mini-Stadium, the Anguillans found themselves in the deficit column from as early as the 12th minute, when Yoanna Calderon unleashed a firm shot to put the Cubans in the lead. Dissatisfied with one successful attempt at goal, she then proceeded to score in the 37th, 60th and 68th minutes, to erase any hope of recovery for the Anguillan team. Yarileidy Mena scored the fifth goal for the Cubans in the 65th minute, and the rout of the Anguillans was completed by the dominant goal-scorer, Calderon, when she scored her fifth and Cuba’s sixth goal in the 85th minute. With this victory, Cuba has accumulated a maximum 6 points from their two matches.
The margin of victory was even wider for Trinidad & Tobago, who crushed Grenada 9-1, to also maximize their efforts with 6 points from two matches.Patrice Campbell opened the scoring for the Soca Princesses in the 3rd minute, and very shortly after, in the 10th minute, the Captain, Anique Walker, put the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0. Grenada generated a measure of hope when Melissa Alexander scored in the 16th minute. This, however, proved to be the only occasion when Grenada breached the goal, and Trinidad & Tobago thereafter exacted revenge through Khadidra Debesette, who scored a hat-trick with goals in minutes 36, 66 and 68. Naomie Guerra found the back of the net in the 21st minute, Shenelle Henry scored in the 78th minute and Jonelle Warrick scored in the 75th and 91st (90+1) minutes.
The seventh and eighth matches of the Caribbean Football Union Women’s Under 20 Finals will be played tomorrow, Monday October 21, at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, with the Dominican Republic tackling St. Kitts/Nevis at 4 pm and, at 6 pm, Jamaica will face Suriname.