TOLUCA, Mexico — Captain Annabelle Chukwu scored three goals to lead Canada to a 5-0 win over Puerto Rico in group play Friday at the CONCACAF U-17 Women's Championship.
Liana Tarasco and substitute Adriana Bianchin also scored for Canada.
Chukwu, who turns 17 on Feb. 8, completed her hat trick in the first 24 minutes and was substituted at halftime with Canada leading 4-0 and facing games Sunday and Tuesday.
Chukwu led all Canadian scorers with seven goals in the two qualifying wins in August that earned Canada a trip to the eight-team CONCACAF tournament, which is taking place at the headquarters of the Mexican Football Federation.
The defending champion United States hammered Panama 13-0 in Group B play earlier Friday with Kennedy Fuller scoring five goals and Alex Pfeiffer four.
Haiti opened Group A play Thursday with a 2-1 win over Costa Rica while Mexico blanked El Salvador 3-0.
Canada plays Panama on Sunday before facing the U.S. on Tuesday. After round-robin play, the two group winners and runners-up advance to the knockout stage.
The semifinal winners qualify for the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup that kicks off in October in the Dominican Republic.
Canada has appeared in all seven previous editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with a fourth-place finish in 2018 its best showing. The Canadian women finished 12th last time out in India in 2022 when it failed to advance out of the group stage with an 0-1-2 record.
Friday's game was a rematch of the third-place match at the 2022 CONCACAF Championship, which Canada won 3-0.
Chukwu, whose twin sister Isabelle started on the bench, opened the scoring in the 10th minute, beating goalkeeper Kailey Carlen from close range after a fine feed from Teegan Melenhorst.
Chukwu doubled the lead in the 16th minute, curling a shot from just inside the penalty box home after Kaylee Hunter dispossessed a Puerto Rican defender.
After Tarasco scored in the 21st, Chukwu picked out the corner three minutes later for her third of the day.
The Canada captain also played provider, setting up teammates twice in the first half on chances they were unable to convert. And a Chukwu cross deflected off a defender and then the post in the 45th minute.
The Chukwus were born in England but moved to Ottawa with their family when they were nine.
Annabelle Chukwu was part of Canada's team at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship last year and played in the 2022 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The Canadians, coached by Emma Humphries, booked their ticket to this CONCACAF championship with lopsided qualifying wins over Dominica (21-0) and Bermuda (9-0) to win a three-nation qualifying group in the Dominican Republic.
The U.S. has won five of the seven CONCACAF U-17 championships held to date, including the last three. Canada won the title in 2010 and Mexico in 2013.
CONCACAF covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2024.
The Canadian Press
