(# = World Ranking)
Group A:
#107 Dominican Republic 0–8 #35 Mexico
A dominating first half by Mexico, pressing a curtain across the halfway line and notching six goals. Nicolette Hernandez, Karen Luna, Rebeca Bernal, Diana Ordonez and Lizbeth Ovalle (one from open play and one from the penalty spot) scored.
The second half saw a couple more from Jasmine Casarez and Mayra Pelayo, with a goal a piece.
#31 Argentina 0–4 #2 USA
Argentina actually could have been up 1–0, as Mariana Larroquette hit the post with a dipping shot from 40 yards out. However, the US went right up the other end and scored off a free kick which was played quickly from Lyndsay Horan for Jaedyn Shaw to take their own lead in the tenth minute. Shaw scored again in the 17th minute and Alex Morgan scored a header to make it three in the 19th. A quieter second half saw the US add a fourth from Horan from the spot, from a VAR reviewed handball which also saw Miriam Mayorga receive a red card for a second caution.
Group B:
#103 Puerto Rico 2–1 #55 Panama
Facing elimination, Puerto Rico with the rallying winner in stoppage time at the end of a match marked by Panama’s inability to capitalise on long periods in control of the flow of play. Panama went ahead in the 27th minute as Mills finished off a fluid counter attack which had started with a Puerto Rico corner. Madison Cox leveled the scores with a towering header at the back post from an Jill Aguilera corner and the last 25 minutes were spent with Panama on the back foot. Danielle Marcano finally made the Puerto Rican possession pay with a neat finish, bursting onto a pass from Garcia to beat the offside trap and slot home.
#23 Colombia 0–1 #11 Brasil
How do you lead with zero shots on goal? That conundrum came to fruition in this game, as Duda Santos’s ball dribbled over the line for a half-time lead. It was a killer mistake by the Colombian goalkeeper Giraldo and it provided the only goal of the game, setting up a blockbuster last matchday in the group.
Group C:
#50 Paraguay 0–4 #10 Canada
Adriana Leon scored a hat trick as Canada peppered the Paraguay goal, and even hit the cross-bar from a penalty kick in second half stoppage time. Olivia Smith got the other goal, with a neat change of pace and finish into the penalty area from the right.
#104 El Salvador 0–2 #43 Costa Rica
If these matches are about securing the best seeding, then Costa Rica’s opening goal after only nine minutes seemed like the ideal start but Prescilla Chinchilla’s finish from Roque Rodriguez’s curling pass was the only goal of the first half. El Salvador applied their own pressure and both Rodriguez for Costa Rica and Brenda Ceren for El Salvador hit the woodwork.
A similar pattern asserted itself in the second half, and Costa Rica were unable to score more than 1 more. Chinchilla applied the finishing touch after Idalia Serrano came flying out of her area and left the goal unguarded.
If the Quarterfinals were tomorrow:
Those matches would be
- Canada (Q) v 8. Paraguay,
2. USA (Q) v 7. Puerto Rico,
3. Brasil (Q) v 6. Costa Rica
and 4. Mexico v 5. Colombia
(Q = Teams who have qualified for the QFs by the end of this matchday)
