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PANAMA CITY - Mexico claimed the final berth from CONCACAF in the Under-20 Women's Cup on Sunday, beating Panama 5-0 to finish third place at the confederation's U-20 women's championship.
Yamile Franco and Natalia Gomez-Junco scored two each and Tanya Samarzich added another to earn Mexico a fourth straight trip to the World Cup and join Canada and the United States in Japan in August.
It will be the fourth time that Canada, Mexico and the United States have represented CONCACAF at the same U-20 Women's World Cup.
Mexico controlled from the start, forcing Panamanian keeper Dayton Wetherby to come off her line to grab a bounding ball only 22 seconds after the opening kickoff.
Samarzich had a goal disallowed in the 13th minute for offside but Franco gave Mexico the lead five minutes later when she ran in from midfield unchallenged, continued into the top of the penalty area and sent a right-footed shot from 17 meters past Wetherby into the opposite corner.
Gomez-Junco doubled the advantage six minutes later. Christina Murrilo sent a long ball to Franco on the right side of the area. Franco squared it to Gomez-Junco, who sprinted into the area between Panamanian defenders Yerenis de Leon and Onelys Alvarado before beating Wetherby from the edge of the six.
Panama's chances to rally took a severe blow in the 38th minute when forward Angela Evans, the team's scoring leader with four goals in five games of the qualifying and finals, went down injured. Evans went to challenge Murillo at the top of Mexico's defensive third, planted her right knee when it appeared to buckle.
She was removed on a stretcher and replaced by Yvamara Rodriguez in the 43rd.
A minute later, Samarzich scored to put Mexico ahead 3-0. Mexican defender Bianca Sierra settled a throw-in from Gomez-Junco well inside her defensive third and launched a ball into the Panamanian half that bounced twice before Samarzich ran on to it, outraced Panama's Leslie Fareaux on the left side and beat Wetherby from 12 meters.
Franco added her second less than a minute and a half into the second half, running between De Leon and Ledya Camacho before scoring.
Playing their fifth game in 10 days, Panama lost another player to injury in the 64th when Camacho also appeared to be hurt when she planted her foot and went down.
Yessenia Zorilla had to replace Camacho, but less than a minute after entering the match was called for a penalty for pulling down Franco as she entered the area.
Franco could have had a third in the 66th, but hooked the penalty off the right post.
Gomez-Junco completed the scoring, however, in the 91st, converting her penalty attempt after Panama's Katherine Gonzalez hauled down Daniela Solis by the shoulders.
It was her tournament-leading sixth goal, one more than Maya Hayes of the United States.
After winning two matches by a combined 5-2 to reach the knockout round for the first time, Panama lost its third consecutive game by a 16-0 aggregate to Canada, the United States and Mexico.
