Guyana U17 Women fall short against Panama

Guyana U17 women’s striker Avril Pasvolsky
races through on goal to score against Panama last night.
Guyana U17 women’s striker Avril Pasvolsky races through on goal to score against Panama last night.

-face elimination from Championship  

Guyana’s U17 women’s team faced another tough test in the 2025 Concacaf Women’s U17 Championship last night, suffering a narrow 3-2 defeat to Panama at the Estadio Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The loss, their second in as many games, leaves them on the brink of elimination from the tournament.  

The match started disastrously for Guyana, as Panama struck early, finding the back of the net in just the second minute. Their relentless pressure paid off again five minutes later, as a well-taken free kick doubled their lead, putting Guyana in a difficult position. Despite the early setback, the young Golden Jaguars showed resilience and responded swiftly. Avril Pasvolsky reignited their hopes with a clinical finish after a well-placed pass from Sydney Glean, cutting the deficit to 2-1 within 12 minutes. 

With the game hanging in the balance, both teams battled fiercely in the midfield, with Guyana pushing for an equalizer while Panama remained dangerous on the counterattack. The second half saw a renewed sense of urgency from the Guyanese squad, but their hopes took another hit in the 73rd minute when Panama extended their lead once more. However, despite that setback, Guyana refused to back down, and in the 83rd minute, Veronica Chatta struck a well-timed effort into the bottom corner, setting up a tense finale. Despite their late push for an equalizer, the match ended 3-2 in Panama’s favour.  

This defeat follows Guyana’s 2-1 loss to Cuba in their opening match on Monday night, where they had briefly drawn level in the second half before conceding the deciding goal. With two losses in as many games, Guyana now sits in a precarious position, effectively out of contention for qualification to the next stage. Their final group match against the Turks and Caicos Islands tomorrow will be an opportunity to restore some pride, but the damage has already been done.