Americans hit young Reggae Girlz for six

Sashana Campbell ... hit crossbar with free kick. - file

Jamaica's Under-20 female footballers were whipped 6-0 by regional powerhouse team, the United States, in their opening game in Group B of the CONCACAF final round World Cup qualifiers in Guatemala yesterday.

In the group's other game, Mexico came from behind to clip Trinidad and Tobago 2-1.

The Americans were dominant throughout and were led from the front by their outstanding captain Sydney Leroux who scored a double, including a brilliant curving 20-yard shot which went in off the left upright.

Christine Nairn also struck twice while the other goals came from Teresa Noyola and Tiffany McCarty.

Leroux, the top forward at the 2008 Under-20 women's World Cup in Chile, also hit the post twice as the young Reggae Girlz were outplayed in every department of the game.

Nairn put the United States ahead in the ninth minute four minutes after Leroux had hit the crossbar.

Free kick

Jamaica's best chance came midway the half when Sashana Campbell's free kick from 20 yards hit the crossbar and went out of play.

The United States (US) soon regained full control, however, and Leroux put them two up in the 25th minute. She glided past Shanise Foster and then beat Nicole Campbell before scoring with a right-footed shot from 25 yards which went in off the left upright.

The US captain hit a left-footer from 12 yards which flew out of play off the post in the 33rd minute before taking advantage of a defensive error to head past the Jamaican goalkeeper in the 35th.

With the Jamaican girls tiring badly in the second half, the US doubled their goal tally.

Meanwhile, Natasha St. Louis gave Trinidad and Tobago the lead less than a minute after the opening kick-off, but Mexico gradually took control to score their come-from-behind win. Charlyn Corral hit the post twice before assisting on strikes by Liliana Godoy and Natali Lagunas to keep Mexico unbeaten in four meetings against the Trinidadians.