Antigua & Barbuda's Kitanya Hughes shoots past USVI's Emily Cota during their CFU Women's Caribbean Group One match at the ARG in Antigua on Friday. (Photo: Thaddeus Price)
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Qualifying in the Caribbean for the 2015 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Friday in high-scoring fashion. Three of the five first-round groups started the process of securing berths in the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship through the inaugural Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Women’s Caribbean Cup.
The evening produced five winners in the five contested games with Bermuda and St. Kitts & Nevis each producing 5-0 triumphs.
Here’s a recap of the evening’s action:
GROUP 1 (at St. John’s, Antigua)
Host Antigua & Barbuda got off to a winning start, defeating the U.S. Virgin Islands, 1-0, in the second match of a doubleheader at the Antigua Recreation Grounds.
The lone goal came in the 49th minute, when midfielder Kitanya Hughes pushed home a left-footed effort from just inside the area, giving the supportive crowd reason to celebrate.
Though the first half generated much in the way of effort, there was little to show in terms of solid scoring opportunities.
The visitor showed promise in the latter stages of the game with left winger Jessica Adams creating problems for the Antigua defense. The quick and skillful Adams, on at least three separate occasions, managed to elude her marker and send probing crosses into the penalty area.
The home team thwarted USVI’s bid for an equalizer and ended the evening in a tie for first place with St. St. Vincent & the Grenadines, which topped Aruba, 2-0, in the opener.
Kendice Franklyn (10’, 38’) recorded both goals in a winning effort.
GROUP 2 (at Bayamon, Puerto Rico)
Martinique ignited its Caribbean campaign with a 3-1 win over Barbados.
GROUP 3 (at Providenciales, Turk & Caicos Islands)
In the opener, Phoenetia Browne netted a hat-trick to propel St Kitts & Nevis past the Cayman Islands, 5-0.
Browne (12’, 26’, 90’) struck for the first two goals and the last in an impressive performance for Sugar City ladies. Kerisha Powell (39’) and Chelsey Harris (81’) also found the target to complete the victory.
Shuntae Todd (14’, 17’) and Cheyra Bell (27’, 64’) scored two goals each as Bermuda outdistanced a brave Turks & Caicos Islands team that was playing its first-ever international fixture at home.
Aaliyah Nolan (54th) also found the nets for the Bermudians.
2014 CARIBBEAN FOOTBALL UNION WOMEN’S CARIBBEAN CUP
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP QUALIFYING RESULTS, TABLES & FIXTURES
FIRST ROUND
GROUP 1 (at St. John’s, Antigua & Barbuda – Antigua Recreation Grounds)
Results
Friday – May 23, 2014
Aruba 0, St. Vincent & the Grenadines 2
Antigua & Barbuda 1, U.S. Virgin Islands 0
Table
(Games Played, Wins, Draws, Losses, Goals For, Goals Against, Points)
St. Vincent & the Grenadines 1-1-0-0-2-0-3
Antigua & Barbuda 1-1-0-0-1-0-3
U.S. Virgin Islands 1-0-0-1-0-1-0
Aruba 1-0-0-1-0-2-0
Remaining Games (all times local)
Sunday – May 25, 2014
St. Vincent & the Grenadines v U.S. Virgin Islands
Antigua & Barbuda v Aruba
Tuesday – May 27, 2014
U.S. Virgin Islands v Aruba
Antigua & Barbuda v St. Vincent & the Grenadines
GROUP 2 (at Bayamon, Puerto Rico – Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel)
Results
Friday – May 23, 2014
Martinique 3, Barbados 1
Table
(Games Played, Wins, Draws, Losses, Goals For, Goals Against, Points)
Martinique 1-1-0-0-3-1-3
Puerto Rico 0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Barbados 1-0-0-1-1-3-0
Remaining Games
Sunday – May 25, 2014
Puerto Rico v Barbados
Tuesday – May 27, 2014
Puerto Rico v Martinique
GROUP 3 (at Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands – TCIFA National Academy)
Results
Friday – May 23, 2014
Cayman Islands 0, St. Kitts & Nevis 5
Turks & Caicos Islands 0, Bermuda 5
Table
(Games Played, Wins, Draws, Losses, Goals For, Goals Against, Points)
Bermuda 1-1-0-0-5-0-3
St. Kitts & Nevis 1-1-0-0-5-0-3
Cayman Islands 1-0-0-1-0-5-0
Turks & Caicos Islands 1-0-0-1-0-5-0
Remaining Games (all times local)
Sunday – May 25, 2014
Bermuda v Cayman Islands
Turks & Caicos Islands v St. Kitts & Nevis
Tuesday – May 27, 2014
St. Kitts & Nevis v Bermuda
Turks & Caicos v Cayman Islands
GROUP 4 (at Mirebalais, Haiti – Park Bayas)
Friday – May 30, 2014
Cuba v Suriname
Haiti v Guadeloupe
Sunday – June 1, 2014
Guadeloupe v Cuba
Haiti v Suriname
Tuesday – June 3, 2014
Suriname v Guadeloupe
Haiti v Cuba
GROUP 5 (at San Cristobal, Dominican Republic – Estadio Panamericano)
Wednesday – June 18, 2014
Jamaica v St. Lucia
Dominican Republic v Anguilla
Friday – June 20, 2014
Anguilla v Jamaica
Dominican Republic v St. Lucia
Sunday – June 22, 2014
St. Lucia v Anguilla
Dominican Republic v Jamaica
