Lady Jaguars top group after dramatic win over Dominican Republic

An injury-time 92nd minute goal from Alisha Leila propelled the Guyana Under-20 Lady Jaguars to an exciting come-from-behind 2-1 victory, over the Dominican Republic, in the final Group D qualifying round match at the Uitvlugt Community Centre Ground yesterday.

The top of the table clash drew hefty support from patrons at the West Demerara venue and easily produced the best match of the Group.

Both teams lining up with the standard 4-4-2 formation played out a feisty first half, with both struggling to put together a fluent passing game. In the 37th minute, the best chance of the half was created by the Guyanese, when left-winger Kailey Leila got some space down the flank and swung in a cross but captain and defender Justin Rodrigues blasted the great chance over the bar.

Goalless at half-time, the rhythm of both teams began to noticeably improve as they got their respective goal-keepers very active with an array of shots raining down on both ends.

The victorious Under-20 Lady Jaguars pose after their victory. (Orlando Charles Photo)

However, it was the girls from the Greater Antilles, who drew first blood, when a 62nd minute free kick some 25 yards out, was poorly defended by the Lady Jags. They failed to track the run of Dominican Republic striker Yqaueisi Soriano, who had scored an amazing nine  goals in the previous two games, which resulted in the pint-sized striker slotting her shot past Guyana goal-keeper Simone Busby.

That goal seemed to be the tonic that woke up the Under-20 Lady Jaguars. The remaining 30 minutes of play witnessed relentless attacking football from Guyana, along with the Dominican Republic girls committing the cardinal football sin of absorbing too much pressure by defending too deep.

The Guyana goal-scorers: Elysia Prasad (left) and Alisha Leila (Orlando Charles Photo)

In the 74th minute captain Rodrigues sent a free kick into the box that was also poorly defended by the Dominican Republic girls. A comical scrap in the box, eventually resulted in Elysia Prasad scoring her second goal of the competition, booting home Guyana’s equalizer.

Momentum was firmly on Guyana’s side at this stage with the opposition visibly shaken.

But the home side after missing a number of clear-cut chances to win the game, left it agonizingly late when striker Otesha Charles – who worked industriously all game, was fouled just outside the penalty area on the left side.

Mid-fielder Tessa Edwards stepped up to take the free-kick, which resulted in another mad scramble in the box for the ball that eventually fell into the path of Leila – who scored.

The goal sent her team mates and fans in the ground into utter jubilation, while simultaneously leaving a visibly disconsolate, Dominican Republic team in tears.

Speaking to Stabroek Sport after the game, head coach Chris Brown articulated his feelings about the team’s performances over the last three-games.

Three games

“Playing three games in such a short space of time was very difficult for the girls, which is why in a lot of ways the game was not very free-flowing today. I wish we had played this team earlier, then maybe a more fluid game would have occurred”, Brown theorized.

He continued: “But overall as a coaching staff, we are very pleased with the girls’ efforts. We don’t get a lot of time with these girls, so to see them fight so hard in this game after going a goal down against a quality opposition, shows the character in the side”.

The win means that Guyana topped the group and both they and the Dominican Republic will have to wait until Wednesday, to find out whether they will be placed in the group featuring Jamaica/ Cayman Islands/ Puerto Rico or Trinidad and Tobago/Cuba/Haiti. In the earlier clash, Anguilla defeated Antigua and Barbuda 1-0, thanks to Briana White’s goal in the 69th minute.