EDINBURG, Texas -- Costa Rica spoiled Cuba's debut in the 2018 concacaf Women's Championship as it recorded an 8-0 victory in the Group B opener for both teams at H-E-B Park on Friday night.
Shirley Cruz, Priscilla Chinchilla and Maria Barrantes each tallied twice for the Central American side, which is trying to qualify for its second successive FIFA Women's World Cup. Daphne Herrera and Fabiola Sanchez also found the net.
Las Ticas were forced to replace starting goalkeeper Maria Bermudez in the 31st minute after she sufferied a fractured left arm while jumping for a cross. She was replaced by Daniela Solera. Under tournament regulations, the Costa Ricans will be allowed to add another keeper.
Costa Rica, which dominated possession, left little doubt as it connected three times in the opening 19 minutes while grabbing a six-goal halftime advantage.
Herrera opened the scoring in the fourth minute, firing a 17-yard shot that bounded off the right post and into the net. Chinchilla made it 2-0 with her first international goal a little more than a minute later, heading in a rebound of a Raquel Rodriguez shot that goalkeeper Katherine Montesino saved.
Sanchez headed home a corner kick from six yards in the 19th minute before Cruz struck twice within a five-minute span. First, she drilled a line drive with her right foot into the upper right corner for a 4-0 margin in the 33rd minute and scored from close range in the 38th minute for her 28th international goal. Chinchilla collected her second off a 24-yard strike a minute into stoppage time.
Barrantes, a second-half substitute, converted a penalty kick in the 82nd minute and added a header during injury time.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Canada played Jamaica.
CWC resumes Sunday in Cary, North Carolina as the U.S. takes on Panama while Mexico faces Trinidad & Tobago in Group A.
On Monday, Costa Rica will meet Jamaica and Canada tussles with Cuba here.
