Belize, Curacao close out Groups A and D with wins
MIAMI, Florida – Groups A and D of League C of the Road to W Gold Cup wrapped up on Monday with three matches. Aruba vs. Belize Group A winners Belize celebrated their first-place finish with a 1-0 victory against Aruba at the Guillermo P. Trinidad Stadium in Oranjestad, Aruba. With the win, Belize complete a perfect 6W-0D-0L campaign in the RTWGC, while outscoring opponents 20-1. Aruba wrapped up their campaign in second-place with a 3W-0D-3L mark. It was a very tight affair throughout the entire match and a breakthrough would not come until very late in the 85’. Fittingly, it came from the right foot of Mikhaila Bowden , who finished as one of the team’s top scorers in the RTWGC with five goals. Bowden launched a free kick that went screaming into the top right corner of net for the 1-0 victory.
Turks and Caicos Islands vs. Bonaire Bonaire were victorious in their Group A finale, posting a 2-0 win against Turks and Caicos Islands at the TCIFA National Stadium in Providenciales. It was the second victory for Bonaire in the RTWGC, giving them a final record of 2W-1D-3L and seven points. Turks and Caicos Islands finished in fourth. Both Bonaire goals arrived in the first half. Vurgy-Ann Visers broke the deadlock in the 19’ to make it 1-0 by turning in a cross from the left wing from Jeanelle Thode. Celine Van Loe then doubled the advantage to 2-0 in the 35’ by thumping in a header off a corner kick to complete the day’s scoring for the visitors.
Curacao vs. Cayman Islands Group D came to a close with group winners Curacao defeating Cayman Islands 6-1 at the Stadion Rignaal Jean Francisca in Willemstad, Curacao. Curacao win the group with a perfect 4W-0D-0L record, while Cayman Islands finished in third with a point. Curacao raced out to an early 2-0 lead on the strength of goals from Jeleaugh Rosa in the 5’ and Kadisha Martina in the 19’. But Cayman Islands would respond and pulled to within 2-1 in the 26’ with Chelsea Brown scoring off a free kick. Cayman Islands looked poised to level the score in the 55’ on a stunning run from Molly Kehoe, but Curacao GK Julainy Fanijten Thielman came up with a massive save. Instead, it was Curacao scoring next, with Taisha Hansen firing in a Right-footed shot for a 3-1 lead in the 66’. Curaçao then added goals in the 81’, 86’ and 90’ from Martina, Sadeyah Rosa and Emily Pulido for the 6-1 final.
