Canada book qualification with comfortable win over Panama
World champs equally at ease with victory over Jamaica
Losing semi-finalists to contest third ticket on Wednesday
Canada and USA have qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ after hefty CONCACAF Women’s Championship semi-final wins over Panama and Jamaica respectively on Sunday.
The results mean Canada qualify for a seventh successive Women's World Cup, while reigning world champions USA have maintained their record of featuring in every edition of the tournament.
It was a relatively muted performance in the first half from Canada against surprise semi-finalists Panama, but the 2015 Women’s World Cup hosts secured the breakthrough from striker Christine Sinclair just before the interval.
The second half was a very different story with Canada moving four goals to the good by the hour-mark, before settling for a 7-0 victory margin with doubles from Sinclair and Adriana Leon.
The result of the second semi-final in Frisco was rarely in doubt after USA midfielder Tobin Heath scored in the second minute as USA raced to a 5-0 half-time lead.
Alex Morgan continued her rich vein of goalscoring form with her second after the break as the hosts claimed a 6-0 scoreline.
Panama and Jamaica will have another shot at maiden Women’s World Cup qualification on Wednesday, with the loser to meet Argentina next month in an intercontinental play-off for France 2019.