Dominican Republic defeats Nicaragua to close Women’s U-17 Qualifiers campaign | OneFootball

ALAJUELA, Costa Rica – The Final Round of the 2026 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Qualifiers continued with the Dominican Republic securing a 2-1 victory over Nicaragua in Group A at the Costa Rica Football Federation Field #2 in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Emelie Asenjo got things started for the Dominican Republic with a goal from the center of the box in the 2’. Jessalyn Schwartz provided the assist with a ground delivery from the right side. 

The Dominican Republic doubled its lead in the 38’ through an own goal from Sara Pavón.

Marian Ruiz shortened the deficit for Nicaragua in the 43’, with an impressive individual run, before striking at the near post from the right end of the box.

The result sees the Dominican Republic finish third in Group A with four points, while Nicaragua finished in fourth place.

Post– Match Data

The Dominican Republic secured a valuable 2-1 victory over Nicaragua, a result that highlighted key individual milestones and marked a positive finish to its participation in the Final Round of the Concacaf Women’s U-17 Qualifiers. The win allowed Las Quisqueyanas to close their campaign with momentum and secure a place in the middle of the group standings.

One of the standout moments came from Emelie Elizabeth Asenjo, who scored her first goal in the competition, further establishing herself as one of the most influential players for the Dominican side. Her performance proved decisive, as she finished the tournament with two direct goal contributions, recording one goal and one assist, making her one of the key figures in the team’s attacking efforts.

Another historic moment unfolded when Sara Daleska Pavón of Nicaragua scored an own goal, the first own goal in tournament history in favor of the Dominican Republic. The play not only influenced the outcome of the match but also entered the record books as a unique milestone for the Caribbean nation.

Despite the defeat, Nicaragua also celebrated an individual breakthrough, as Marian Ruiz scored her first goal in tournament history, becoming the team’s lone scorer in the current edition and providing a rare bright spot in a difficult campaign for Las Pinoleras.

The Dominican Republic concluded its participation in the Final Round in third place in the group, posting a record of GP-3 W-1 D-1 L-1, GF-3 GA-9, 4 points. All three goals scored by the team in the tournament came from Mia Romero, Emelie Elizabeth Asenjo, and the own goal by Sara Daleska Pavón, with Asenjo standing out as the most impactful player in the attacking phase.

For Nicaragua, the tournament ended in fourth place in the group, finishing with a record of GP-3 W-0 D-0 L-3, GF-1 GA-11, 0 points. Marian Ruiz was the only player to score for the team in the competition. Notably, this edition marked the third time that the Nicaraguan national team completed a Final Round campaign with all matches lost, following similar outcomes in 2018 (L-2), 2025 (L-3), and now 2026 (L-3), underscoring the challenges the program continues to face at this stage of the tournament.