The Trinidad and Tobago women's football team had a disastrous start to their 2024 Concacaf women's Gold Cup qualifying campaign on Tuesday night, as they were beaten 6-0 by Mexico in their opening match at the Estadio Hidalgo Stadium in Pachuca.
It was coach Richard Hood's first competitive game in his current stint as TT coach.
The hosts wasted little time in spoiling TT's visit to Pachuca. All six of the Mexican goals were scored in the first half by a rampant home team, as they relentlessly threatened Kimika Forbes in the TT goal.
Mexico are 36th on the Fifa rankings, compared to TT's ranking of 75.
In the first ten minutes, the disparity was seen between the teams as Maria Sanchez and Greta Espinoza scored to give the hosts an early 2-0 lead. The 33-year-old Forbes didn't have the best game between the sticks by her standards, and offered Espinoza an easy tap-in from close range after spilling a ball which was played into the area.
With TT camped in their half for the majority of the first period, the Mexicans rattled off 22 shots at Forbes' goal. The hosts found the net with great regularity too, as Alicia Cervantes helped herself to a double. Alexia Delgado and Charlyn Corral also scored first-half goals.
Playing 2,000-plus metres above sea level, the TT team looked to be labouring as the Mexicans breached their defensive structure at will. In the second half, though, there was no further damage to the scoreline as the hosts took their feet off the pedal and strolled to the comfortable victory.
It is Mexico's second win in their League A group, following their 2-1 comeback win over Puerto Rico on September 22.
TT's next game in the group will be a home encounter versus the table-toppers Mexico on October 27. Hood's TT unit will then round off the group with a pair of matches versus Puerto Rico on December 1 and 5 respectively.
At the end of group play, the top team in each of the three League A groups will qualify for the group stage of the 2024 Concacaf women's Gold Cup. The three runners-up in the League A groups will play the three winners of the respective League B groups for a spot in the Gold Cup preliminary round.
