CARIBBEAN representative Puerto Rico had a dominant start to their Concacaf Women’s U-17 Qualifiers campaign, as they thrashed Panama 6-1 in their opening Group B match as they chase one of four available spots for the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Puerto Rico asserted their authority from the start as they broke the deadlock mere seconds after kickoff at Estadio Nacional in Managua, Nicaragua. Giselle Falcón opened the scoring in the first minute, the fastest goal of the final round so far.
Gabriella Garnett then stole the show with a stunning hat-trick in just five minutes. She scored in the 16th, 20th, and 21st minutes. Her goals included two spectacular long-range strikes and a close-range tap-in that placed Puerto Rico firmly in control.

Panama managed to pull one back in the 26th minute when an unfortunate own goal from Puerto Rico’s Paige Foye, from a corner kick, gave them a glimmer of hope.

However, Puerto Rico continued their relentless attack. Falcón bagged her second goal of the match in the 47th minute when she finished with a precise left-footed strike to the near post. Captain Camila Adame put the final touch on the commanding victory in the 70th minute as she fired a powerful shot from outside the box.

In the second Group B encounter, Canada cruised to a 5-0 win over Nicaragua, also at Estadio Nacional.
Lacey Kindel opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a powerful right-footed strike from inside the box. Melisa Kekic doubled the advantage in the 34th minute, capitalising on a loose ball to slot home at the far post.
Canada continued to pile on the pressure, with Kaylee Hunter making it 3-0 in the 41st minute with a long-range left-footed shot into the bottom right corner.

Kellyane Dumas added another in the 49th minute with a well-placed finish from the centre of the penalty area, while Emma Donnelly sealed the emphatic victory in stoppage time (90+4’) with a stunning long-range effort into the top left corner.
Action in the tournament continues on Wednesday, with the other Caribbean representatives, Trinidad and Tobago, hoping to bounce back against El Salvador in Group C, while Haiti and Bermuda will lock horns in Group A, all hoping to salvage their respective campaigns. (Sportsmax)