The Lady Jaguars got their campaign off to the perfect start in the qualifiers of the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U17 Championship (CWU17C), edging Anguilla 1-0 yesterday at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, USA.
In what can only be described as a cagey and disjointed affair, Guyana’s starting XI comprised of Sidney Facey, Ciara Sarius, Sue Edwards, Nikasi St Jules, Alyssa Blake, Akeelah Vancooten, Sara Mathias, Anaya Willabus, Jalade Trim, Karan Jupiter, and Sandra Johnson.
The Lady Jaguars were gifted the perfect opportunity to break the deadlock, as they were awarded a penalty kick in the 18th minute. However, the chance was squandered by Johnson, who fired her effort straight at the goalkeeper.
Trim was then denied by the outstretched leg of the goalkeeper from inside the right of the penalty box in the 35th minute, as Guyana’s struggle in the final third persisted.
The Guyanese eventually recorded the go-ahead winner in the 45th minute, as Edwards scored, lashing her effort into the right corner from inside the centre of the penalty area, after latching onto a loose ball following a goal mouth scramble emanating from a right sided corner kick.
Meanwhile, Honduras walloped Turks and Caicos 7-0 in the second match of the pool. The Lady Jaguars will continue their Group-C campaign against Honduras tomorrow at 11:00am, before concluding their group round on Monday against Turks and Caicos at 11:00am.
According to an official release from Concacaf, “At the end of group stage play, the winner of each group and the best ranked second place finisher will advance to the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship (CWU17). The ranking of the best second-place team will be determined using a weighted points system (total number of points divided by the number of matches played).”
The 2022 CWU17 is scheduled to take place in January. The top ranked 16 teams participating in the Group Stage of the Championship will be divided into four groups. After round-robin play, the top three teams in each group will advance to the Round of 16, joining the four teams from the Qualifiers.
A direct elimination format will decide the eventual winner of the tournament. Similarly, the winner, runner-up, and third place finisher will qualify for the 2022 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in India scheduled for October 11 to 30, 2022.
