The Lady Jaguars were dumped out of the 2022 Concacaf U17 Women’s Championship, losing to former champions and regional powerhouse Mexico 0-15 in a Round of 16 clash at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
It was a debut to forget for the Guyanese as the match was effectively over at the end of the first half after Mexico romped to a 6-0 lead.
Such was the dominance of the Mexicans in the first period that they outshot Guyana 30-1 while recording 183 passes at a conversion rate of 85%. Mexico also monopolized possession at 72%.
The Guyanese recorded 77 passes at a completion rate of 35% and a 28% possession.
Overall, Mexico, who recorded their largest margin of victory to date in the event, crafted 52 attempts while completing 326 passes at a rate of 84% after dominating 70% of possession in the match.
The Lady Jaguars ended the match with statistics of eight shots, and 160 passes at a conversion of 34%, and a 30% possession.
Guyana’s starting XI comprised Nya-Grace Young, Akasha Low-Koan, Anaya Willabus, Nikita Wayne, Sue Edwards, Maliya Gangadin, Akeelah Vancooten, Alyssa Blake, Anika Sproxton, Jalade Trim, and Sandra Johnson.
Valeri Vargas commenced the rout in the second minute, controlling a cross from the left side, before finishing past the goalkeeper into the left corner. Michel Fong made it 2-0 in the fifth minute with a shot from outside the centre of the box which nestled into the lower-left corner.
A missed penalty in the 15th minute by Natalia Collins proved to be a minor blip for the Mexicans, as they eventually increased their advantage in the 27th minute when Laylah Sirdah, raced onto a through pass inside the left of the box, and then stabbed her effort past the goalkeeper into the lower-left corner.
Sirdah recorded her second goal of the match in the 33rd minute, racing away from the backline and finishing into the lower right corner past the advancing goalkeeper following a one-on-one situation.
A 5-0 score was quickly realized one minute later compliments of Jade Martinez, who curled a left-footed shot from the centre of the box into the left corner.
The first half result was then completed in the 44th minute when Sirdah sealed her hat-trick with a shot into the top right corner, after collecting a left-sided pass. Guyana’s only effort of the half occurred in the 45th minute but Willabus was denied by the diving goalkeeper from outside the penalty box.
The nightmare debut got worse for Guyana in their second half as a further nine goals were conceded. Tatiana Flores tallied a hat-trick in the 47th, 56th, and 60th minutes, while Vargas added to her first-half conversion with a double in the 49th and 54th minutes to complete her hat-trick.
Adding goals in the 59th, 82nd and 90th minutes were Katherin Guijarro, Maribel Flores, and Deiry Ramirez respectively. An own goal in the 74th minute added to the lopsided result.
Guyana qualified for the tournament as the best second-place finisher during the Qualification Round in 2021. Guyana finished with a record of two wins and a loss. They defeated lowly Anguilla 1-0, and Turks and Caicos 6-0, but lost to powerhouse Honduras 0-6.
