The Mexican women's national team started its journey to the 2023 World Cup with a devastating 9-0 win over Suriname.
Since the first minute, it was quite clear that El Tri Femenil would destroy its rival. The technical differences between both teams were abysmal and vast. And yes, the scoreboard was an expression of the gap between them, but not the only one. Mexico, for example, had 34 shots vs. ZERO from Suriname.
The capacity of Suriname to pass the ball around was almost non-existent, and the goalie Tjin A Koeng - one of the five players brought from the Netherlands to reinforce the team - was the poster girl of their frustration. In every goal kick, her face was a plea to her teammates: "please, hold the ball and keep them away as much as you can."
Mexico vs Suriname Highlights
There is no doubt that the Mexican victory was a collective work, but if we need to highlight one player, the name of Katty Martinez comes to mind. Katty Killer returned for the first time to El Volcan Stadium after moving from Tigres to América in Liga MX, and it felt like she never left.
Martínez got an assist after setting up Stefany Mayor in the first Mexican goal of the night.
Then, the attacker had the chance to showcase her unique scoring talent with a brace.
Martínez didn't participate in the fabrication of the fourth goal, scored by Diana García, but her savviness was crucial for the fifth: Katty Killer left the ball run through her legs, and García showed no mercy to put it far in the corner.
The striker could have gone home with a hat-trick, but she ended up missing out on at least two other chances.
The Mexican landslide continued with goals from the charismatic defender Rebeca Bernal, Carolina Jaramillo and Maricarmen Reyes.
And after a few missed opportunities, Alicia Cervantes was able to put her name on the scoreboard with the ninth and final.
With its dominant performance against Suriname, Mexico now leads Concacaf W Championship's Group A, which they also share with Antigua and Barbuda, Puerto Rico and Anguilla. El Tri needs to win the series if they want to advance to the Octagonal Final, a tournament that will be held in July, and gives four tickets to the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Canada and the USWNT, being the best two teams in the region, are already qualified for the Octagonal Final.