U.S. women triumph, reach semifinal round

They win in a rout to finish round-robin play 3-0 and will play again Sunday as they vie for a berth in the 2019 World Cup.

UNITED STATES 7 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 0

CARY, N.C. — Rose Lavelle and Alex Morgan scored two goals apiece to help the United States beat Trinidad and Tobago 7-0 on Wednesday in the Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament.

Tobin Heath added a goal and two assists for the U.S., which led 4-0 at halftime.

Ranked No. 1 in the world, the United States advances to the CONCACAF Women’s Championship semifinals in Frisco, Texas, on Sunday. The U.S. rolled through round-robin play in Group A with a 3-0 record, outscoring its opponents 18-0.

“This was about building momentum,” U.S. coach Jill Ellis said. “This was a good way to finish our group stage. Now the focus shifts to qualifying.”

The United States scored three goals in a four-minute span late in the first half to pull away from Trinidad and Tobago, which finished 0-3 in the group stage.

It was a result that spoke to the huge gap between the U.S. men’s and women’s national team programs. The American men lost to Trinidad and Tobago, at the time the world’s 99th-ranked team, last October to miss out on qualifying for the World Cup. The U.S. women are the defending World Cup champions, having beaten Japan in the final in 2015.

With steady rain falling, Lavelle scored on a left-footed blast from outside the penalty area in the 41st minute to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead. She scored again less than 90 seconds later, and Crystal Dunn added another goal just before halftime.

Lavelle fell awkwardly to the turf after colliding with a defender as she scored her second goal, and she did not play in the second half.

Panama 2, Mexico 0: Karla Riley and Lineth Cedeno scored and Panama eliminated Mexico from the knockout round and from next year’s World Cup. Panama, ranked No. 66th in the world, secured a spot in the semifinals on Sunday in Frisco, Texas.

After a scoreless first half, Riley scored in the 47th minute. Cedeno added a goal in the 85th, giving Panama a shot at going to its first World Cup. Mexico was ranked No. 24 in the world.