BY ANDREW HANCEL Observer staff reporter hancela@jamaicaobserver.com Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The Under-17 Reggae Girlz leave the island this afternoon for Trinidad and Tobago where they'll be seeking to qualify for the inaugural FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in New Zealand.
The young Reggae Girlz, coached by Brazilian Luciano Gama, enter the final round of the CONCACAF Women's Under-17 Championships with a top-three finish guaranteeing them a historic berth.
Gama's assistant, Junior Francis, spoke about the girls being high on confidence heading into this final stage.
"They think that they are the ones who are going to create history for Jamaica. They are a confident bunch that is willing and will try their endeavour best to qualify," Francis said.
Francis, however, was quick to note that the girls will not be taking their opponents lightly.
All Jamaica national women's teams have failed in previous attempts to qualify for global FIFA championships with the final stages proving to be a major obstacle.
Despite talks that this present crop of girls is the country's best chance of playing on the world stage, the Jamaicans will be listed as underdogs to beat CONCACAF powerhouses Canada and Mexico drawn in the same group that also includes little known Puerto Rico. The other group consists of hosts Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Costa Rica and El Salvador.
The top-two finishers from each of the two groups advance to the semi-finals.
Three players, who were members of that failed Under-20 team in the CONCACAF Under-20 Women's championships in Mexico, have been included in the 20-member squad.
The trio includes captain Monique Pryce and the Canadian-based pair of Zovel Hyre and Cathryn Rogers.
Sixteen-year-old Pryce is also a regular starter in the national senior team and is expected to play a key role along with Hyre and Rogers, both of whom came off the bench in Mexico.
Venessa Ramsay, the leading goalscorer in the preliminary round of the qualifiers in Antigua with six goals, will lead the attack possibly alongside Trudi Carter.
Jamaica's campaign begins on Thursday as the feature match at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, where they'll tackle Mexico (6:00 pm Jamaica time) two hours after Canada and Puerto Rico officially kick-start the final round.
Two days later the Reggae Girlz square-off against Canada (5:00 pm Jamaica time) in the day's feature. The Girlz then play their final group stage match against the Puerto Ricans on July 21 (4:00 pm Jamaica time).
Travelling with the team are Raymond Anderson, head of delegation; Gama and Francis, coaches; Mark Sanderson, team doctor and Elaine Walker-Brown, team manager.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The Under-17 Reggae Girlz leave the island this afternoon for Trinidad and Tobago where they'll be seeking to qualify for the inaugural FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in New Zealand.
The young Reggae Girlz, coached by Brazilian Luciano Gama, enter the final round of the CONCACAF Women's Under-17 Championships with a top-three finish guaranteeing them a historic berth.
Gama's assistant, Junior Francis, spoke about the girls being high on confidence heading into this final stage.
"They think that they are the ones who are going to create history for Jamaica. They are a confident bunch that is willing and will try their endeavour best to qualify," Francis said.
Francis, however, was quick to note that the girls will not be taking their opponents lightly.
All Jamaica national women's teams have failed in previous attempts to qualify for global FIFA championships with the final stages proving to be a major obstacle.
Despite talks that this present crop of girls is the country's best chance of playing on the world stage, the Jamaicans will be listed as underdogs to beat CONCACAF powerhouses Canada and Mexico drawn in the same group that also includes little known Puerto Rico. The other group consists of hosts Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Costa Rica and El Salvador.
The top-two finishers from each of the two groups advance to the semi-finals.
Three players, who were members of that failed Under-20 team in the CONCACAF Under-20 Women's championships in Mexico, have been included in the 20-member squad.
The trio includes captain Monique Pryce and the Canadian-based pair of Zovel Hyre and Cathryn Rogers.
Sixteen-year-old Pryce is also a regular starter in the national senior team and is expected to play a key role along with Hyre and Rogers, both of whom came off the bench in Mexico.
Venessa Ramsay, the leading goalscorer in the preliminary round of the qualifiers in Antigua with six goals, will lead the attack possibly alongside Trudi Carter.
Jamaica's campaign begins on Thursday as the feature match at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, where they'll tackle Mexico (6:00 pm Jamaica time) two hours after Canada and Puerto Rico officially kick-start the final round.
Two days later the Reggae Girlz square-off against Canada (5:00 pm Jamaica time) in the day's feature. The Girlz then play their final group stage match against the Puerto Ricans on July 21 (4:00 pm Jamaica time).
Travelling with the team are Raymond Anderson, head of delegation; Gama and Francis, coaches; Mark Sanderson, team doctor and Elaine Walker-Brown, team manager.
Squad - (Goalkeepers) Keeley Williams, Shena Wint; (Defenders) Zovel Hyre, Melissa Madden, Jodian Morris, Nugene Negent, Kession Walker, Ornella Gray, Monique Pryce (cpt); (Midfielders) Sasalee Cooper, Cathryn Rogers, Sashana Campbell, Carla Daniels, Shanise Foster, Shenika Williams, Davia Smith; (Forwards) Trudi Carter, Elise Procope, Toni Cowan, Vanessa Ramsay.