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The first round of games in Group C of the 2017 CONCACAF U-17 Championship delivered the expected results: the USA and Mexico won heavily.
The Americans encountered a little more resistance against Jamaica than Mexico got from El Salvador.
The Jamaicans managed to keep the USA off the score sheet for the first half, but it was a rear-guard effort. The Americans were on the board early in the second half through Chris Durkin, and then finally found the multiple goals their constant pressure had promised as the game neared its end. Tim Weah scored in the 77th, captain Josh Sargent added the USA's third in the 87th, and Ayo Akinola got a brace the final minutes.
The 5-0 win did not flatter the Americans, who might have been regarded as underachieving had they scored any fewer than five goals.
El Salvador was similarly overwhelmed by Mexico, for whom the scoring started in the opening minute. It was 4-0 to El Tri at half-time, 5-0 within a minute of the re-start, and 6-0 by the final whistle.
Mexico and the USA player each other next - on April 26 - in a match assumed to simply settle which of the Group C favorites wins the group. But both teams are expected to advance to the Classification Stage of the tournament, and will also be expected to meet in the final on May 7.