Panama 2 Bermuda 2
Bermuda’s dreams of automatically advancing to the final round of the 2026 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Qualifiers ended in agonizing fashion at the Flora Duffy South Field Stadium as a late Panama equalizer forced a 2-2 draw.
Panama Starting Line-Up: C. Aparicio, Y. Magallón, C. Ríos, K. Zapata, S. Mow, G. Distancia, I. Rendino (J. Alvarado 87th), A. Ortega, P. Wakefield (N. Zafrani 54th), A. Perez (V. Batista 54th), G. Rodriguez - Substitutes: - S. Gutiérrez, G. Chen, Y. Batista, N. Farberoff, R. Gabay, A. Potvin, A. Samudio - Bermuda Starting Line-Up: - Kyra Simmons, Antoinette Barry, Janiya Sealey (Amiya James 75th), Evans Welch (Mia Daponte 77th), Tayte Glasgow (Priya Dill 46th), Daley Outerbridge, Milan Gibbons-Thomas, Avery Taylor, Riley Khan, Zalaye Showers, Nila Samuels - Substitutes: - Semaj Baisden-Scott, Khloe Curling, Kiara Deane, Sydney Denkins, R-Zanee Evans-Waldron,, Cayli Dowling, Nadia Medeiros
In a high-stakes winner-takes-all encounter, Bermuda was just seven minutes away from a historic victory before the visitors salvaged the point they needed to progress as group winners. Both nations had entered the final matchday having dominated their previous opponents, but it was Panama’s resilient finish that ensured they maintained their superior standing in the table.
The contest began at a frantic pace, and Panama wasted little time in asserting their authority. The visitors were awarded a penalty in the eighth minute, which Shaday Mow composedly converted to silence the home crowd. Despite the early setback, Bermuda responded with impressive character and began to find joy through the wide areas. Their persistence was rewarded in the 17th minute when Daley Outerbridge found the back of the net to restore parity. The two sides traded blows for the remainder of the half, but neither could find a breakthrough before the whistle, leaving the match finely poised at the interval.
Bermuda manager Gary Adams made a tactical masterstroke at the break by introducing Priya Dill, and the substitute made an immediate impact. Within two minutes of the restart, Dill pounced on a loose ball to fire Bermuda into a 2-1 lead, sparking jubilant celebrations in the stands. As the clock ticked down, Bermuda’s defensive unit, led by goalkeeper Kyra Simmons, weathered a relentless storm of Panamanian attacks. However, the pressure eventually told in the 83rd minute when Cristabella Rios found space in the box to level the score at 2-2.
The officials signaled seven minutes of stoppage time, during which Bermuda threw everything forward in a desperate search for a winning goal. Panama’s backline held firm under immense pressure, navigating the closing stages with professional discipline to secure the draw.
While Bermuda finished the qualifying campaign unbeaten and with a positive goal difference, the result means Panama advanced to the next stage by virtue of their superior goal difference, leaving the hosts to hope they can advance as one of the second best finishers and also to reflect on what might have been after a valiant performance on home soil.
Suriname 3 Bonaire 0
Suriname ended their 2026 Concacaf Women's Under-17 Qualifying campaign on a high note, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory over Bonaire at the Flora Duffy South Field Stadium.
In the opening match of the final day for Group B, Suriname’s clinical second-half display ensured they finished their tournament with three points and a clean sheet.
After a tightly contested first half in Devonshire, Renessa Sajat broke the deadlock to provide Suriname with the lead. Sajat proved to be the difference-maker, doubling her tally later in the half with a composed finish to effectively put the result beyond doubt. Namiesha Lamafoe added a third to round out a dominant performance, leaving Bonaire without a win in the qualifying group.
|
