JAMAICA’S senior Reggae Girlz pounded Martinique 6-0 in yesterday’s opening Group B CONCACAF Women’s Championship match at the Sporting Park in Kansas thanks to two goals each from Christina Murray and Donna-Kay Henry.

Murray, the attacking midfield player, struck in the second and 74th minutes. The wide attacker Henry got her double after strikes in the 22nd and 76th minutes.

Striker Shakira Duncan, in the sixth minute, and a goal from substitute forward Alexa Allen in the 71st completed the rout.

The writing was on the wall when the Jamaicans, who were runners-up at the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Championship in August, took a second-minute lead against Martinique, the CFU fourth-ranked team.

Though Jamaica had the early advantage and led as much as 3-0 by the midway mark of the first half, some wayward shooting and stubborn resistance from Martinique combined to prevent a bigger deficit at the end of the opening period.

Indecisive play in front of goal continued for the Jamaicans in the opening exchanges of the second half, but a five-minute blitz soon ended the Martinique rearguard as Allen (71st), Murray (74th) and Henry (76th) pounced.

At press time, Group B favourites Mexico were set to meet Costa Rica in the late kick-off at the venue.

The Jamaicans will play against Costa Rica in Illinois tomorrow (Saturday) before completing the preliminary round against Mexico in Washington, DC next Tuesday.

The top two teams in each of the two groups will advance to the semi-final stage. A win for Jamaica against Costa Rica could secure a place in the semis.

The top three teams at the Championship will automatically qualify for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada. The fourth-placed country from CONCACAF will enter a World Cup spot play-off against Ecuador, South America’s third-placed team.

No Jamaican female team has ever qualified for a FIFA World Cup.

— Sanjay Myers