ALAJUELA, Costa Rica - Tanya Samarzich and Diana Gonzalez scored less than four minutes apart early in the first half and Mexico easily defeated Panama 5-0 on Thursday in the opening game for both at the CONCACAF Under-17 Women's Championship.
Mexico dominated possession and play while Panama struggled get the ball out of its own end, managing only two weak shots the entire first half.
Samarzich and Gonzalez both finished with a pair of goals and Maria Sanchez and Maria Fernanda Pina accounted for the others as Mexico comfortably won the Group A encounter.
Mexico had nearly all of the possession but didn't look particularly dangerous until the 13th minute. Daniela Salcedo beat Panamanian defender Isis Herrera down the right side of the area, drawing the attention of Onelys Alvarado.
That left Samarzich unmarked and, after a short square ball from Salcedo, she hit a soft side-footed shot from 12 meters that slowly rolled past diving keeper Anyuri Montenegro and just inside the left post.
Gonzalez was more direct in the 17th, taking one touch before hitting a left-footed chance from 25 meters that skipped once before setting inside the right post.
Except for a shot by Panama's Margie Moreno that went wide left in the 20th, Mexico played nearly the rest of the half in the Central Americans' side of the field.
Panama managed one corner, in the third minute of first-half injury time, that went harmlessly into the near side netting of the goal.
The Panamanians showed more life to start the second half, putting a pair of balls toward goal in the first six minutes.
But in the 55th, Susan Ibarra's corner kick sailed over the head of Montenegro and Alvarado, falling at the feet of a sliding Sanchez, who simply swept the ball into the net for a 3-0 lead.
Three minutes later, Samarzich took a ball 25 meters from goal, turned on Alvarado and struck a right-footed shot that bounced inside the right post. Pina, who replaced Samarzich in the 76th, added hers in the 84th, taking a ball from Salcedo between three defenders and dribbling to the 18 before unleashing a shot that beat Montenegro.
Gonzalez completed the scoring in injury time, converting a penalty after Margie Moreno ran over the back of Pina.
Panama's best chance came in the 79th when second-half substitute Joselyne Sanjur was able to break in on Mexican keeper Cecilia Santiago, but her right-footed chip attempt sailed just wide of the right post.
It was the third straight shutout to start the tournament, following the 9-0 victory by the United States over Haiti and host Costa Rica's 7-0 win over the Cayman Islands on Wednesday.
