BRADENTON, Florida – The Central American Zone of Concacaf Women’s Championship Qualifying at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida concluded on Friday with Costa Rica taking top spot thanks to a 3-1 win over Panama.
Costa Rica completes the four-team round-robin with a record of 3W-0D-0L, 9 points, 18GF, 2GC, while Panama finishes in second-place at 2-0-1, 6, 11GF, 5GC.
Both teams have qualified for the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship.
Raquel Rodriguez put the Ticas in control with a pair of first half goals in the 14’ and the 25’, but there was plenty of fight in the Canaleras and a goal in the 74’ from Erika Hernandez made for a dramatic finish.
Costa Rica kept its nerve and Cristin Yorleny Granados Gomez’s goal in the 86’ put the three points on ice for the Ticas.
CWC Qualifying also ended on a positive note for both El Salvador and Nicaragua, who played to an exciting 2-2 draw.
El Salvador was the better side through the first hour and held a 2-0 lead after goals from Jency Stephany Ramirez Reyes in the 18’ and Sandra Verali Tamacas Romero in the 55’.
But Nicaraga showed great character and mounted a furious comeback led by Martha Lissette Silva Zapata, whose goals in the 76’ and 79’ earned a point for the Pinoleras.
Nicaragua concluded CWCQ in third place with a 0-1-2, 1, 3GF, 10GC record, while El Salvador finishes in fourth place at 0-1-2, 1, 4GF, 19GC.
Central American Zone of Concacaf Women’s Championship Qualifying
IMG Academy, Bradenton, Florida United States
Monday, August 28
Panama (4) Nicaragua (0)
Karla Paola Riley (2) 9´y 68´, Yomira Pinzon 49´, Lineth Cedeno 90+ 4
Costa Rica (11) El Salvador 0
Daphne Herrera (3 ) ( 5 ', 45 + 1' and 55 ' Shirly Cruz (2) (19' and 21 ') Katherine Alvarado (9 '), Gloriana Villalobos (30'), Raquel Rodriguez (36 '), Cristin Yorleny Granados Gomez 64', Fabiola Villalobos (82 ') and María Salas (84').
Wednesday, August 29
Costa Rica ( 4) Nicaragua (1)
Fabiola Sanchez Jimenez 3´, Raquel Rodríguez Cedeno 61´, María Fernanda Barrantes 67´, Wendy Patricia Acosta 84´., Doriana Aguilar Omeir 71´
Panama (6) El Salvador (2)
Natalia Millis 41´, Karla Paola Riley 42´, Kenia Rangel Villarreal 58, 69´ and 90´+1 Lineth Cedeno Villarreal 80´, Damaris Beatriz Quelez 38´, Brenda Damaris Ceren 45+1
2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship
Dates: October 4-17, 2018
Venues: Sahlen’s Stadium (Cary, North Carolina), H-E-B Park (Edinburg, Texas) and Toyota Stadium (Frisco, Texas).
Teams: North America (3), Caribbean (3) and Central America (2)
Number of teams to qualify for the World Cup: 3 (Champion, runner-up and third place). The fourth place finished will dispute a home-and-away intercontinental playoff, with Argentina, the third-place finisher of CONMEBOL’s 2018 Women’s Copa America. The winner of the playoff will qualify to the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019.
