Canada blank Reggae Girls 6-0

SAN JOSE: Canada blanked Jamaica 6-0 and Costa Rica defeated Panama 6-1 on Thursday in the second day of qualifying matches for Olympic women’s football. The Jamaicans could do little to defend themselves against   the bombardment of the Canadians: Forward Christine Sinclair scored three times, Charmaine Hooper twice, and Carmelina Moscato once. Sinclair, the star of the match, is tied with US player Shannon Boxx and Mexican Patricia Perez in the number of goals scored. Boxx and Perez each scored three goals in their respective defeats of Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti during the first day of play on Wednesday.  Hooper opened the scoring in the 30th minute and scored again in the 30th with a penalty shot. Sinclair scored in the 46th, 61st and 90th minutes, and Carmelina Moscato scored in the 82nd off a pass from Christine Latham.

Costa Rica’s Ana Gabriela Campos launched the first goal of her team’s rapid, aggressive game against Panama, scoring in the second minute. Monica Salazar scored the second goal in the 24th minute with a free shot launched nearly from midfield. Teammate Megan Chaves, Costa Rica’s top scorer, scored in the 25th minute, but  it was followed in the 26th minute by Panama’s only goal, from Maritzenia Bedoya. Chaves then brought the score to 4-1 with a goal in the 45th minute.  Cindy Rodriguez and Shirley Cruz scored two more goals with shots in the 60th and 71st minutes, respectively. 

Panama received five yellow cards during the match. Eight teams, four each in Group “A” and Group “B”, are competing at the CONCACAF tournament for two berths in the Olympics in Athens. In the first day of play on Wednesday, the United States defeated Trinidad and Tobago 7-0 and Mexico defeated Haiti 5-0. Costa Rica will play Jamaica and Panama will face Canada when the teams return to action today.