Guatemala 4 Bermuda 1

Bermuda battled hard but were beaten soundly in their second World Cup qualifier by Guatemala on Monday night.

Captain Eva Frazzoni scored her second goal of the campaign for Bermuda in the 78th minute but her header was little more than a consolation with Guatemala already four goals up.

The Gombey Warriors went into the match on top of the group after beating Cayman Islands 4-0 on Thursday but coach Naquita Robinson had forecast a tougher challenge against Guatemala.

That assessment was proved right as the home side exerted some heavy early pressure in Guatemala City, with Bermuda goalkeeper Taya Rodrigues called into action as soon as the second minute when getting down low to hold on to a shot from the impressive Ana Martinez.

Just a couple of minutes later, Martinez looked likely to score but the ball deflected just wide after hitting defender Victoria Davis. But Bermuda failed to get a reprieve from that as the resulting corner was played short and worked back to the taker Martinez. Her inswinging cross found the head of Maria Monterosso, who powered the ball high into the net past the diving Rodrigues.

Guatemala doubled their lead in the fourteenth minute when centre back Samantha Lopez played a long ball over the Bermuda defence for Martinez to run on to. She was bravely blocked by the onrushing Rodrigues but in the subsequent goalmouth scramble Dina Polanco poked the ball over the goal line.

Rodrigues was down for a number of minutes after that incident and her treatment proved the catalyst for a Bermuda team meeting in the centre of their own half, with the players attempting to rally their performance.

That chat did provide some impetus with classy Bermuda forward Nia Christopher showing some fantastic touches on the few occasions she received the ball and Kenni Thompson looking dangerous on the left flank.

Coach Robinson was forced into making a change in the 23rd minute when Rodrigues, who had attempted to continue with the injury she picked up ten minutes earlier, was taken off on a stretcher with what appeared to be a significant knee injury suffered while taking a goal kick.

She was replaced by Sharifa Crockwell, who caught the eye with a number of important saves, the first coming when she was forced to dive low to her right within a minute of coming on.

Bermuda came closest to scoring in the first half in the 27th minute when Thompson made a great run down the left. She appeared to mis-hit her cross but the ball hit the frame of the goal.

Christopher then produced a jinking solo run from the halfway line to the edge of the box but was crowded out as she looked to get her shot away.

That Bermuda went in at the interval just two goals down was largely down to Crockwell, who produced three good saves towards the end of the half.

Bermuda looked far more solid in the second half with their defence breached only by a long-range effort from Monterosso, who scored her second goal of the match in the 61st minute with a 30-yard effort that looped over Crockwell.

Guatemala’s fourth came from the penalty spot in the 76th minute after Elizabeth Estrada showed good pace before slowing down to lure Koa Goodchild into a foul. The experienced Martinez made no mistake with a powerful right-foot shot.

Just a minutes later Bermuda got some reward for their endeavour, when Thompson, the best player on the night, produced a good cross for Frazzoni to head into the net.

Guatemala’s win mean they move to the top of the group ahead of Bermuda, who now have to wait until March for their next game of the competition against Costa Rica.

Scorers

Guatemala: Monterosso 5, 61, Polanco 16, Martinez 77 pen

Bermuda: Frazzoni 78

Teams

Guatemala (4-2-3-1): I Andrino ― D Mazariegos, D Polanco, M Ruano, S Lopez ― M Monterosso, M Contreras (sub: B Contreras, 56min) ― A Martinez, A Edwards, E Estrada (sub: J Castellanos, 86) ― H Bran de Mondi (sub: N Lopez, 45). Substitutes not used: W Franco, M Ventura, A Quintanilla, S Herrera, B Contreras, J Myvett, K Gonzales, J Castellanos, S Ovando

Bermuda (4-3-3): T Rodrigues (sub: S Crockwell, 23) ― K Goodchild, D Watson (sub: K Dill, 52), V Davis, M Christian ― K Brangman (sub: K Burch-Waldron, 73), Z Webb, E Frazzoni ― K Thompson, N Christopher, J Masters (sub: J Ratteray Smith, 73). Substitutes not used: S Berkeley, M Butterfield, A James, R Valana-Pearman, S Trott, J Simmons, E Welch. Booked: Brangman, Goodchild.

Referee: M Urena (Dominican Republic).