US thrash Guyana, Puerto Rico earns draw in Women’s U20 Champs

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (CMC):

TOURNAMENT FAVOURITES United States predictably defeated Guyana while Puerto Rico registered a hard-fought draw with Costa Rica when the Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championships continued at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto on Friday.

The US were in a no-nonsense mood, hammering Guyana 8-0 in the opening match before Puerto Rico produced a gutsy effort in a goalless draw against the hosts.

The US were led by Izzy Engle, whose beaver trick spearheaded the rout.

She put her side ahead in the fifth minute before Kennedy Fuller converted from the penalty spot in the 13th minute to make it 2-0 to the US.

Engle got on the scoresheet again in the 24th minute, and goals from Sealy Strawn one minute later and Linda Ullmark in the 37th stretched their lead to 5-0.

Engle then grabbed her hat-trick four minutes before half-time with a superb long-range effort before completing a dominant performance with a goal in the 48th.

Emma Johnson then sealed the deal for the US in the 77th.

In the nightcap, neither Puerto Rico nor Costa Rica were able to find the back of the net in an entertaining contest.

Puerto Rico had the clearer chances in the closing minutes of the first half, as Susana Roberts attempted to break the deadlock in the 41st.

Alondra González had a chance to give the hosts their first goal of the match in the 78th, but her header went above the crossbar.

Goalkeepers Valeria Fernández, of Costa Rica, and Alondra Iriarte, of Puerto Rico, each collected their first clean sheet of the campaign.