MIAMI, Florida – Mexico are on their way to the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup group stage as winners of Group A of League A of the Road To W Gold Cup after defeating Puerto Rico 3-0 on Friday night at the Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
The win gives Mexico nine points through three matches, five points ahead of second-place Puerto Rico on four points after four games. The Boricuas could still clinch a spot in the W Gold Cup Prelims should Mexico either draw or defeat Trinidad and Tobago in the Group A finale on Tuesday.
It was all Mexico in the first 45 minutes, with the visitors amassing eight shots, but none that found the back of the Puerto Rican net.
El Tricolor kept the pressure on to start the second half and they finally broke through in the 47’ through Natalia Mauleon, who was on the receiving end of an inch-perfect cutback pass from Scarlett Camberos, allowing for a powerful one-time finish from Mauleon and a 1-0 Mexico lead.
Mexico then looked poised to double their advantage in the 56’ with Diana Ordonez at the penalty spot after Camberos had been clipped from behind inside the Puerto Rico area.
Puerto Rico GK Sydney Martinez had other ideas with a diving save to her right to deny Ordonez and keep it a one-goal affair.
The second Mexican goal would come, though, in the 63’, as Kiana Palacios steered home a shot off a cutback pass from Mayro Pelayo-Bernal for a 2-0 Mexico advantage.
Puerto Rico redoubled their efforts at getting a goal and nearly reduced the deficit to one in the 86’ but were turned away by Mexico GK Esthefanny Barreras.
Palacios then stroked home the final goal of the night with a sweeping right-footed finish to round out the 3-0 scoreline.
