The 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualification Championship is under way. All eight nations have played and the usual suspects are leading the way. The United States and Canada won their first match by identical score lines of 5-0. However, Mexico was able to score more goals in their opener then the two powerhouses did. 

Here is a closer look at what happen in the two groups, and what is to come. Remember to qualify for the next round the countries have to finish in the top two of their respective group.

Group A
Nation PTS GP W D L GF GA GD
1. Mexico 3 1 1 0 0 6 0 6
2. USA 3 1 1 0 0 5 0 5
3. Costa Rica 0 1 0 0 1 0 5 -5
4. Puerto Rico 0 1 0 0 1 0 6 -6


Day 1: Wednesday at Toyota Stadium at Frisco, Texas.

1) Puerto Rico 0-6 Mexico

El Tri came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. The Mexicans know that if they want to win this group they have to finish with a better goal differential then the USWNT. Their class shined as they smashed Puerto Rico 6-0. Thirty-seven-year-old veteran striker Maribel Dominguez led the way for El Tri with a hat-trick. Their commanding victory places them in first place for the moment. 

2) USA 5-0 Costa Rica

The United States were able to jump ahead in the match in just 12 seconds. Alex Morgan hammered the ball into the back of the net, after that the Yanks took off. By the 15th minute mark the U.S. had a 3-0 lead and the game was practically over. By the time the match ended the score was 5-0 and Morgan finished with two goals and Captain Carli Lloyd had two assists and a goal as well.

Next matches: Saturday at Toyota Stadium 

1) Costa Rica - Puerto Rico 

The loser of this match will be eliminated from the tournament and the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games. As for the winner they will have a slim chance of advancing to the next round. 

However, since both nations goal differential are in bad shape it will still be a tall task to advance to the semifinals. They will need to score multiple goals in their victory and get some help from the winner of the other match from the group. If this match ends in a draw then both nations have an even smaller chance of making it to the next round. They will need to make sure that the other match does not end in a draw or else they will be practically be eliminated due to their goal differentials. 

Prediction: Costa Rica 4-1 Puerto Rico 

2) Mexico - USA

The winner of this match will clinch their spot into the next round. Qualifying to Rio will be within their grasp. Dominguez will need to step up again to give El Tri a rare victory over the Americans.

For the Yanks they need to keep up the constant pressure against the Mexican defense on Saturday. Their midfield will get their time on the ball to create chances for the forwards. Once Morgan or Crystal Dunn receive the ball they need to score and make Mexico attack them. If the United States are able to do that then the game will open up and benefit the USWNT offense. Lloyd, Lindsey Horan and Tobin Heath will have all the time in the world to take advantage of the gaps in the defense if the Yanks break through first.

Prediction: Mexico 0-3 USA 

Group B
Nation PTS GP W D L GF GA GD
1. Canada 3 1 1 0 0 5 0 5
2. Trinidad & Tobago 3 1 1 0 0 2 1 1
3. Guatemala 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1
4. Guyana 0 1 0 0 1 0 5 -5


Day 2: Thursday at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas

1) Guatemala 1-2 Trinidad & Tobago 

The Caribbean nation came back with two late goals from Kennya Cordner (74th minute) and Tasha St. Louis (78th minute) to win the match. The Central Americans had taken the lead in the 19th minute. Ana Martinez converted a penalty to give the Chapines the 1-0 lead. However, after that T&T's athletic ability took over the game. Their offense kept on crashing the Central American defense, until they finally broke through. 

2) Canada 5-0 Guyana

20-year-old Canadian midfielder Ashley Lawrence guided the Canucks to victory on Thursday. Lawrence led the way with a hat-trick against the South American nation. It might have taken Les Rouges 26 minutes to score, but they were always in charge. Guyana never had stood a chance against the Canadians in the match. 

Next matches: Sunday at BBVA Compass Stadium

1) Guyana - Guatemala 

Similar to Costa Rica's and Puerto Rico's match in group A, the loser will be eliminated from the championship. So both nations will be attempting to keep their Olympic dreams alive. However, the Central Americans have a better chance of advancing due to their goal differential. The Chapines have a negative one GD and the South Americans have a negative five, so a victory for the Guatemalans will go a longer way for them.

Prediction: Guyana 1-2 Guatemala 

2) Trinidad & Tobago - Canada

The winner of this match will secure their place into the next round. The Canadians will be favorites to win the game. However, T&T's athleticism will cause problems for the Canucks on Sunday. The defense will need to stay alert as the game progresses, since the Caribbean nation will most likely rely on counters to win the game. 

If the Canadians score first then T&T will be forced to open up defensively and chase the game. In result, Canada will cruise to an easy victory. However, that all depends on the Canucks breaking the deadlock. 

Prediction: Trinidad & Tobago 1-4 Canada

Now let's see what will unfold in the weekend. Who will qualify to the semifinals? And whose Olympic journey will end? 

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About the author
Jorge Belon
My name is Jorge Belon. I’m a writer for VAVEL USA and VAVEL UK. My focus is on soccer. Throughout the years I have created different blogs all revolving around soccer. My first was Mr. JB Soccer in 2012. Now I currently operate Belon Soccer News (BSN), where I cover soccer mostly from North America and international tournaments. I am a college at Los Angeles Valley College. I was a part of the college newspaper, The Valley Star for two years. At the Star I held the position of Sports Editor, News Editor, Managing Editor and Editor in Chief. I have been writing about soccer for the past three years. I have covered: Major League Soccer, Gold Cup, Under-20 Men’s World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Men’s World Cup and many more.