Puerto Rico retains Tier I Challenge Series title
Puerto Rico 3 – 0 Dominican Republic
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (August 24, 2025)—Puerto Rico successfully defended their Tier I title with a commanding 3-0 victory over rivals Dominican Republic in the final held at Ato Boldon Stadium on Sunday.
The two neighbouring island nations, both from Group A, met again in a high-stakes rematch after the Dominican Republic handed Puerto Rico their only group stage defeat.
With revenge on their minds and the championship at stake, Puerto Rico came out strong despite a wet surface that made for a cautious start from both sides.
The breakthrough came in the 27th minute when a poor clearance by the Dominican defence landed kindly for Puerto Rico captain Caroline Micheo. With precision, she curled her shot into the far post to give her side a 1-0 lead and shift the momentum in their favor.
Puerto Rico kept the pressure high, pinning the Dominican Republic deep in their half.
Yamileth Diez, who copped the MVP of the final award, forced back-to-back saves from the Dominican goalkeeper, Whandely Garcia, in the 30th and 31st minutes, as the defending champions turned up the intensity. Their persistence paid off again in the 34th minute when Lizmarie Espinoza fired a powerful shot from just outside the box, doubling the lead to 2-0.
The second half saw more dominance from Puerto Rico. In the 39th minute, Micheo threaded a perfectly weighted pass to Diez, who beat the defenders and slotted it past the onrushing Garcia to make it 3-0.
Dominican Republic's best chance came from their captain, Gia Rodriguez, who skilfully beat two defenders and unleashed a shot destined for the net. Rodriguez took home hardware for being the leading Tier I goal-scorer.
However, Puerto Rico’s goalkeeper, Valeria Del Moral, tipped it onto the crossbar and quickly secured the rebound to preserve the clean sheet. Del Moral also won the trophy for best goalkeeper in Tier I.
With this win, Puerto Rico not only avenged their earlier loss but also clinched back-to-back Tier I championships, reaffirming their dominance in the region.