MIAMI, Florida – The September window of the Road to W Gold Cup delivered many great moments, yet these stood out the most.
Maria Sanchez ‘golazo’ turns tide for Mexico
Mexico found themselves 1-0 down to Group A rivals Puerto Rico late in the first half and were in desperate need of a spark. Look no further than Sanchez, who executed a free kick to perfection, curling a shot into the top left corner of net to start El Tricolor’s 2-1 comeback victory.
Martinez spearheads dramatic comeback win for Guatemala
Guatemala suffered a 3-0 loss to Panama in Guatemala in the opening match of Group B and were tasked with a second date against the Canaleras in Panama. Another Panama win looked like it was going to happen midway through the second half with the home side holding a 2-1 advantage, but Guatemala’s Ana Martinez came to life, scoring goals in the 67’ and 90’ to complete a magical comeback.
Bermuda, Suriname off to perfect starts
Both Bermuda and Suriname could not have asked for better starts to their Road To W Gold Cup campaigns in League B. Not only did they each win both games in the window, but neither conceded a goal over the 180 minutes. Suriname downed Dominica 4-0 and then Antigua and Barbuda 1-0 in Group A, while Bermuda collected 2-0 and 4-0 wins against Dominican Republic and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, respectively.
Ceren leads the El Salvador offense
El Salvador was the other team out of League B to make it six points out of six during the window and they did it by outscoring opponents 12-1. At the heart of it was Brenda Ceren, who was a wizard for the Cuscatlecas’ attack, scoring three goals, adding an assist and overall serving as a playmaker during her team’s 3-0 win at Nicaragua and then the 9-1 home victory over Martinique.
Mengana strikes at right time for Cuba
Cuba and Saint Lucia looked destined to share the spoils in their League C Group B opener with the score knotted at 1-1 going into second half stoppage time. Cuba had come close to scoring on several occasions in the second half, only to be turned away. Their persistence paid off, though, as Maristania Mengana scored in the 90+3’ to deliver a dramatic three points to her side, putting Cuba in control of the group.
Bonaire compete in first ever match
Last Thursday, September 21, was a banner day for women’s football in Bonaire. The country’s senior women’s national team played its first ever international and Concacaf match, going up against Turks and Caicos Islands in Group A of League C. It was a day that Bonaire Football will always remember, and it was a day that will also go down as their first ever result, as the home side played to a 0-0 draw to secure the historical point.
