The Lady Jaguars, the senior women’s football programme ended their two-match international friendly series against Puerto Rico with a 1-2 defeat last evening at the Estadio José Antonio Figueroa Freyre.
It was an improved showing from the visitors, following their 6-1 thrashing in the opening match on Thursday. However, as improved as Guyana was from their previous drubbing, the hosts were guilty of overplaying the ball in the final third, in what was a disjointed offensive performance.
Guyana, like Puerto Rico, opted for several changes to their starting XI. For the Lady Jaguars, the starting XI consisted of Brianna Desa, Samantha Banfield, Serena Mc Donald, Gabriella Salvadore, Audrey Narine, Natalie Nedd (GK), Ghilene Joseph, Annalisa Vincent, Shamya Daniels, Tiandi Smith and Hasha Holder.
It only took the hosts two minutes to break the deadlock, as Nikolette Driesse scored with a sublime strike to cap off a passing scheme which numbered approximately 25.
Receiving the ball upon cutting in from the right the right side, Driesse uncorked a left footed shot from 23 yards outside the right of the box into the left hand corner.
The post then came to the rescue of the Lady Jaguars in the 20th minute, as a Josephine Cotto curling right footed effort from outside the box, struck the crossbar.
A horrendous back pass in the 27th minute from the defender, gifted Guyana the equalizer, as Audrey Narine tapped the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper into the empty net.
Puerto Rico almost restored their advantage two minutes later but Cotto was once again denied by the woodwork, after her powerful strike from 28-yards out in the centre of the field, crashed into the crossbar.
Captain Laura Suarez was also on the receiving end of the crossbar in the 33rd minute, curling a right footed free-kick from 26 yards out in the centre of the field, onto the frame of the goal.
Guyana was then presented with a glorious chance to take the lead in the dying embers of the first half but Annalisa Vincent was denied by the onrushing goalkeeper during a one-on-one situation after a failed clearance by the defender fell into her onrushing path.
Upon the resumption of play, the hosts were presented with the perfect opportunity to retake the lead in the 51st minute as they were awarded a penalty kick following a clumsy challenge inside the right of the 18 yard area.
However, the misfortunes continued for ‘Los Boricuas’, as Mercedes Bauza fired her right foot shot over the crossbar. Sophia Muetterties was then cleared off the goal-line in the 66th minute by a McDonald header, after an initial strike following a goalmouth scramble, slipped through the grasp of the goalkeeper Nedd.
Nevertheless, the hosts were gifted the go-head winner in the 83rd minute following a dreadful goalkeeping error. A tame Muetterties effort from 24 yards out in the centre of the field, inexplicably sailed through the legs of the goalkeeper, who seemed to misjudge the flight of the ball.
The two international friendlies were part of the team’s preparation for the 2023 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The Lady Jaguars have been drawn in Group-F in the first round, following the official Concacaf draw in Miami, Florida.
Guyana, who was initially placed in Pot-1, will compete against Caribbean heavyweight Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Dominica and Turks and Caicos.
