Alison Heydorn scored the go-ahead goal in the 76th minute and Guyana’s Lady Jags footballers defeated Guatemala 2-1 on Sunday in a group stage match in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.
Mariam El-Masri tied the score about five minutes before Heydorn’s goal, and Guyana won its first-ever match at the senior level in a CONCACAF tournament. Ana Lucia Martinez gave Guatemala the lead with a goal in the 54th minute.
The win ensured that Guyana’s Lady Jags footballers kept their hopes alive of qualifying for the semifinals of the CONCACAF final round Olympic qualifiers. Their hard-fought, come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Guatemala was played at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Ranked 92nd in the world, Guyana faces Trinidad & Tobago on Tuesday for a chance at a spot in the semifinals at the tournament for the North and Central America and Caribbean region. The winners of the semifinal matches will win spots in the Rio Olympics this summer.
Canada faces Trinidad in the other group match Sunday afternoon. The top-ranked U.S. women play in the opposite group and have already has secured a spot in the semifinals with two group-stage wins. (Associated Press)
