Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Puerto Rico all secured their second win on the trot in their respective Concacaf Women’s U-17 Qualifiers groups on Wednesday.
All eight teams moved to six points, but will still have all to play for in their final group fixtures as only the group winners and the two best second-placed teams are set to progress.
In Group A, host Puerto Rico, through Michaela Poidomani’s 38th-minute strike, edged Cayman Islands 1-0 at Estadio Centroamericano in Mayagüez.
Bermuda then slammed St Vincent and the Grenadines 5-1 in the feature game of the double-header.
Evans Welch (60th), Milan Gibbons (62nd, 85th), Avani Patton (77th), and Keyandae Lightbourne (89th) got Bermuda’s goals in the come-from-behind win after Stephanie Hunte (31s) gave St Vincent and the Grenadines an early lead.
With the win, Bermuda assumed pole position in the group with a better goal difference to Puerto Rico, whom they will meet in a top-of-the-table clash to decide the group winner. Cayman Islands and St Vincent and Grenadines are without a point and out of contention.
Over in Group B, Honduras blanked US Virgin Islands 4-0 in the curtain-raiser at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago.
A brace from Jazlyn Sánchez (10th, 16th), and one each from Alexandra Merriam (54th) and Stephany Mercado (68th) got the job done for the Central Americans.
In the feature contest, host Trinidad and Tobago blanked Belize 2-0 courtesy of Cherina Steele (30th) and Rori Gittens (49th).
The Twin Island Republic sit atop the group on six points and a one-goal difference ahead of Honduras (six points), heading into the group decider. Belize and US Virgin Islands are without a point and out of contention.
Elsewhere in Group C, braces from Sunehri Borrego (13th, 47th) and Marianelis Reyes (41st, 83rd) propelled Cuba to a comfortable 5-0 over Turks and Caicos Islands at Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Yaiselis López (86th) got Cuba’s other goal, as they sit level on six points with leaders Panama, who hold a superior four goal difference after they clipped Guyana 3-2 in the other group encounter.
Shaday Mow (second), Isabella Rendino (seventh), and Yasselis Magallon (73rd) got on the scoresheet for Panama, while Avril Pasvolsky (12th) and Veronica Chatta (83rd) got Guyana’s goals.
Meanwhile, Group D leaders El Salvador mauled Curacao 6-0, while Guatemala blanked Anguilla 5-0 in that double-header at Estadio Nacional in Managua, Nicaragua.
Linda Galindo (22nd), Keanna Vanterpool (39th), Emily Patzan (55th), Safiyah Gaskin (69th), and Victoria Godoy (76th) did the damage for Guatemala against Anguilla.
El Salvador’s goals against Curacao came from Angelina Carrillo (ninth, 17th), Maya Buerger (15th, 28th), Zoe Castro (75th), and Ava Rodriguez (83rd).
The Central Americans will meet in the top-of-the-table clash, while Curacao and Anguilla will aim to salvage pride in their game of academic interest.