The Lady Jaguars sealed berth to the preliminary round of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, dismantling Antigua and Barbuda 3-0 yesterday at the IR Franklin Essed Stadium, Suriname.
Guyana’s starting XI comprised Chante Sandiford, Anika Sproxton, Rylee Traicoff, Kristen Bettencourt, Anya Tribune, Brianne Desa, Stefani Kouzas, Shanice Alfred, Jalade Trim, Annalisa Vincent, and Otesha Charles. It was a dominant performance, as they recorded 16 attempts while restricting Antigua and Barbuda to a solitary strike. The team also recorded eight corner kicks, while Antigua and Barbuda failed to register any corner kicks.
Following some dogged defending by Antigua and Barbuda, the Lady Jags eventually broke the deadlock in the 39th minute, as Annalisa Vincent scored, back-heeling the ball into the back of the net from inside the six-yard box after receiving a pass from the left side of the penalty area following a right-sided cross. Otesha Charles then got into the scoring act, directing her header into the left corner from inside the 18-yard area after receiving a cross from the right side. The result was then sealed in the 85th minute, as Neema Liverpool found the back of the net from inside the six-yard box. Guyana will now enter the preliminary round to contest for a place in the tournament. The Lady Jaguars are projected to play Guatemala.
The inaugural W Gold Cup will occur from February 20th to March 10th, 2024, in the United States. The single-leg matches will take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, United States, on February 17, 2024, immediately prior to the competition. The three winners will qualify for the group stage.
