Coach McDonald: “It Was Not Our Day to Convert Goals.”
Saint Lucia concluded its journey in the 2025/26 CONCACAF W Qualifiers with a loss to St. Vincent and the Grenadines in their final Group A match, finishing the competition without a win.
Despite starting strong with aggressive offensive play, Team Saint Lucia conceded an early goal and struggled to regain momentum.
On Saturday at the Daren Sammy Cricket Grounds [DSCG], the Piton Girlz entered the match full of pride and determination, but ultimately faced another disappointing outcome.
Karesha Iton scored the only goal of the match in the 14th minute. The central midfielder from Chatham United launched a long free kick that surprised the opposing goalkeeper, sailing into the net from approximately 35 yards out.
This marked Iton’s maiden international goal in just her second appearance for the Lady Heat.
Standout players from Team Saint Lucia, including Krysan St. Louis, Kayla Polius, and Kyla Lionel, recorded a combined total of six shots, but the team was unable to find the back of the net. Despite dominating possession with 58.2% and outshooting St. Vincent and the Grenadines 11 to 6, only five of their attempts were on target, with just four coming from inside the box.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines wrapped up their tournament with consecutive wins, finishing third in the group with a record of 2-0-2. In contrast, Saint Lucia ended their campaign winless, finishing in fifth place in Group A.
The 2025/26 Concacaf W Qualifiers run from November 2024 through April 2026, determining teams for the 2026 Concacaf W Championship.
Key results from late 2025 and early 2026 include dominant performances by Jamaica, Mexico, Haiti, and Panama.
Piton Girlz head coach Francis McDonald acknowledged his team’s competitive spirit but expressed concern over their “poor finishes” and inability to convert chances into goals.
“Our coaches have implemented essential principles and structures,” McDonald stated. “In building a well-composed female team for the long term, there must be standards and structure. We’ve emphasized two variations in the game: transition and attack, and defense.”
Looking ahead, McDonald assessed the match and the team’s plans, stating, “We are working on various attacking foundations to help us express ourselves better. We dominated more than two-thirds of the game; unfortunately, it was just not our day to convert our chances.”
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