Concacaf W Qualification match recap: Antigua and Barbuda 0, México 8

Antigua and Barbuda did well defensively, getting a standout performance from goalkeeper Anik Jarvis, but were eventually overwhelmed by México in an 8-0 match in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. México goes to the top of Group A with six points and a +17 goal differential while Antigua and Barbuda go to the bottom of the table with no points and a -12 differential.

Jimena López hit a nice ball into the box looking for Licha Cervantes, but Jarvis was up to the task, punching it off of the head of Cervantes and stopping the follow up shot. In the 17th minute María Sánchez got onto a ball and hit it on goal, but Jarvis made a nice save to parry it out for a corner kick. Nancy Antonio tried her luck from distance in the 22nd minute, but Jarvis did well to turn it over the crossbar. México finally broke through in the 24th minute when Anika Rodríguez played a great through ball for Stephany Mayor, who drew Jarvis off of her line, went around her, and calmly tapped the ball in.

Cervantes almost doubled it on the ensuing kickoff, but her shot went wide. In the 26th though México got their second when Carolina Jaramillo hit a nice cross past everyone to an onrushing Rebeca Bernal. All alone, Bernal tapped it in for her second goal of the tournament.

Jaramillo drew a penalty kick in the 32nd, kicking a ball into the arm of Tassianne Benjamin. Stephany Mayor converted the penalty with ease. A minute later Mayor and Rodríguez combined to spring Mayor down the right flank. Mayor hit a cross into Cervantes, but her shot went straight to Jarvis. In the 34th a long shot by López was partially stopped by Jarvis. Jaramillo got onto it and had time, but her tight-angle shot went wide of the far post. Licha Cervantes got her seventh goal in seven straight appearances in the 42nd when she headed in a corner kick to give México the 4-0 lead.

After the half, México kept pressing and looking to put as many on the board as possible with goal differential being a possible determining factor. In the 53rd López floated a ball across the box for Jaramillo, but her header went wide of the net. Antigua and Barbuda did well to weather the pressure from México, and even created a shot against them in the 61st minute on a free kick. But México couldn’t be stopped. Katty Martínez hit a shot from the top of the box in the 61st that beat Jarvis high and to the far post.

Martínez almost had a second in the 64th, taking a deflected shot from Sánchez and hitting it against the grain and beating Jarvis, however it hit flush off of the post. Then a minute later López hit a nice cross that was dummied by Katty and hit home by Maricarmen Reyes for her first goal of the tournament.

Carolina Jaramillo finally got on the board when María Sánchez got into the box and drew the defenders in on her, passing it back to Jaramillo at the top of the box for a nice swerving shot into the back of the net to make it 7-0. Sánchez hit a free kick on frame, and Jarvis made a nice save on it however was slow to get up. She was however able to continue after a momentary respite. México had another opportunity in the 86th minute when Anika Rodríguez drove into the box and hit a shot that Jarvis stopped but couldn’t control. Katty Martínez got to it, but her shot was also stopped by Jarvis. Just when it looked like things were settled, Myra Delgadillo hit a shot from well outside of the box that floated into the back of the net for México’s eighth goal of the evening as the final whistle sounded after the goal.

Antigua and Barbuda will face Anguilla on April 6, while México will face Anguilla on April 9.

México: Itzel González; Anika Rodríguez, Rebeca Bernal (Karina Rodríguez, 46’), Cristina Ferral, Jimena López; Nancy Antonio, Stephany Mayor (Maricarmen Reyes, 46’) , Carolina Jaramillo (Diana García, 81’); María Sánchez, Alicia Cervantes (Katty Martínez, 58’), Joseline Montoya (Myra Delgadillo, 58’)

Antigua and Barbuda: Anik Jarvis; Tassianne Benjamin (Maritza Baptiste, 66’), Skyler Scavo (Nicola Stewart, 46’), Jahira James, Devikka Tittle; Kai Jacobs, Tritch Ann Grant, Shunnye Christopher (Georgetta Lewis, 61’), Gabrielle De Suza (Nicelle Drew, 83’); Monica Bird (Brianna Roberts, 61’), Zolique Samuel

Scoring: Antigua and Barbuda - None; México - Stephany Mayor (24’, 33’ - penalty), Rebeca Bernal (27’), Alicia Cervantes (43’), Katty Martínez (61’), Maricarmen Reyes (65’), Carolina Jaramillo (76’), Myra Delgadillo (90+6’)

Disciplinary: Antigua and Barbuda - Shunye Christopher (Yellow - 36’), Tritch Ann Grant (Yellow - 46’), Nicola Stewart (Yellow - 58’), Gabrielle De Suza (Yellow - 78’); México - Myra Delgadillo (Yellow - 73’)