Reggae Girlz in a very good place, says coach Donaldson
Jamaica’s Senior Ladies’s soccer group head coach Lorne Donaldson is firmly of the view that the Reggae Girlz are on the proper trajectory following their elimination from the CONCACAF Paris 2024 Olympics Playoff.
The Jamaicans misplaced the two-legged tie in opposition to Canada 4-1 on mixture after the Canucks eked out a 2-1 victory within the second leg inside BMO Area in Toronto on Tuesday.
Canada, the reigning Olympic Video games gold medallist, had received the primary leg 2-0 inside Kingston’s Nationwide Stadium final Friday.
The North Individuals thus earned the privilege to attempt to defend their title in Paris subsequent yr. Additionally they booked their ticket to subsequent yr’s CONCACAF Ladies’s Gold Cup Match, whereas condemning Jamaica to the W Gold Cup Qualifying Group A which incorporates Panama and Guatemala.
The three groups will play residence and away beginning October 25 with the Reggae Girlz going through Panama away. The winner books an computerized place within the W Gold Cup, whereas the runner-up earns one other shot throughout a playoff subsequent February.
Pedigree coming by the ranks
“No matter occurs from right here, the group, with all of the conditions, is in a very good place with a number of the younger gamers that we begin to present and placed on the sector,” Donaldson informed the media following Tuesday’s loss.
“I believed the younger gamers gave a very good account of themselves, so the longer term is vibrant for the group, and hopefully we are able to preserve this group collectively and sooner or later, whoever has them, may have a pedigree coming by the ranks…”
Donaldson, who was an assistant coach when the Reggae Girlz certified for his or her historic first FIFA World Cup look in 2019, and the pinnacle coach when the group made it a second time final yr, has come to the top of his contract with the native governing physique, the Jamaica Soccer Federation.
He had stated previous to the two-game playoff tie in opposition to Canada that he had not but been contacted on this regard, however a tv report in Jamaica on Wednesday night time instructed {that a} assembly is imminent.
In Tuesday’s sport, Donaldson and his technical employees have been compelled into 5 modifications from the group which began within the first leg in Kingston.
Captain and ace ahead Khadija Shaw didn’t get better from an harm, whereas defender Konya Plammer, defensive midfielder Vyan Sampson, ahead Chenya Matthews and winger Jody Brown misplaced our, and have been changed by Kayla McKenna, Kameron Simmonds, Chantelle Swaby, Paige Bailey,and Tiffany Cameron.
Spence places Girlz forward with spectacular free-kick
Ace midfielder Drew Spence gave Jamaica the lead through a spectacular free-kick on 33 minutes, just for Cloe Lacasse to equalize with a agency header six minutes later.
And 5 minutes into the second half Jordyn Huitema secured the win with one other headed objective.
Donaldson, a former Jamaican worldwide, mainly admitted that there was not rather more his younger aspect might do to show the tie round.
“We did what we might do by simply making use of strain; it was an end-to-end sport and so they scored an important objective, a set-piece [from a corner] that we haven’t given up for a very long time,” the coach bemoaned.
“Then the second objective they scored, coming again, it was just a little little bit of a misfortune the best way the ball bounced, as an alternative they bought it within the field [penalty] and completed,” he added.
It was Canada’s 11th win in 11 makes an attempt in opposition to Jamaica, registering 64 targets for and merely two in opposition to.
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