three CFU teams lose CONCACAF U17 openers

CMC – All three Caribbean Football Union teams – Curaçao, Barbados, and Trinidad & Tobago – in action on Saturday, lost their opening matches at the Concacaf Under-17 boys’ championship.

All but T&T endured a crushing loss, as Mexico, Canada, the United States, and Panama carved out opening day wins in the championship, which is being played across two venues, the Estadio Nacional Doroteo Guamuch Flores in the Guatemala capital, and the Estadio Pensativo in the central highlands city of Antigua.

Eight different players found the back of the net for defending champions, Mexico, when they pounded Curaçao, 9-0, with Stephano Carrillo scoring twice in the first half in the trell through mid-wicket for his final boundary, to seal the deal for the Giants, who had topped the preliminary phase of the tournament.

23rd and 45th minutes to lead the demolition with a brace.

Similarly, Cruz Medina, a product of U.S. Major League Soccer outfit, San Jose Earthquakes, logged first-half strikes in the 25th and 43rd minutes, and returned to bury another in stoppage time at the end of the match to lead the Americans past Barbados, 5-0.

Kyler Vojvodic scored in each half, and Canada soaked up the pressure from Trinidad & Tobago to land a 3-2 win.

After the Canadians took a 2-0 lead through a 27th minute item from Vojvodic, and a 61st minute strike from Chimere Omeze, Malachi Webb answered for T&T in the 67th minute.

But Vojvodic restored the twogoal advantage for the Canadians, before Lindell Sween cut the deficit again, one minute later.

In a battle of Central American sides, Panama edged hosts Guatemala, 1-0, on a Kevin Walder goal in the 16th minute, from a header off a cross from the left.

On Monday, Curaçao will be hoping to get their first result when they take on Panama in Group E, in which Mexico will try to make it two wins in two matches when they face Guatemala.

Barbados will be hoping to be another tough opponent for Canada in Group F, and the U.S. and T&T will renew a longstanding rivalry.

Brathwaite and New Zealander Colin de Grandhomme were miserly in their opening spells, and the Vipers limped to 30 for three at the end of the Power Play.

Brathwaite made the breakthrough in the second over when he got England batsman Alex Hales caught at mid-off for one, and he completed the run out of Rohan Mustafa four balls later, when the Vipers batsman got into a mix-up with English left-hander Adam Lyth.

De Grandhomme followed up with the scalp of Lyth, caught by Brathwaite at deep fine leg for 13 in the fifth over, but the Vipers consolidated and reached 62 for four at the halfway stage, after Barbados-born England pacer Christopher Jordan held a return catch to send South African Vipers captain Colin Munro packing for six in the ninth over.

Hetmyer (right) after taking a wicket against Desert Vipers in the final of the ILT20 on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, Unit -

Sri Lankan Wanindu Hasaranga, whose 55 off 27 balls, including six fours and two sixes, was the top score, and England international Sam Billings with a run-a-ball 31 added 72 for the fifth wicket to beef up the Vipers total.

Brathwaite returned for his third over, and got Billings at mid-off in the 15th over, and the Vipers could not find the impetus to finish the innings strongly, losing three more wickets – two to Afghanistan leg-spinner Qais Ahmad –in gathering only 30 in the final five overs.

Giants had a shaky start, and stumbled to 34 for two at the end of the Power Play, losing England international James Vince for 14, and de Grandhomme for one in successive overs.

Namibian Gerhard Erasmus came to the crease and shared 73 with Lynn to get the Giants on track for victory, before he fell with 47 needed from the final 33 balls.

Hetmyer cracked five fours from 13 balls to tilt the balance towards the Giants, and Lynn remained unflappable until the end to bring over the finish line.