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• Good to be back: Cameron expresses joy, optimism as World Cup Girlz, JFF reconciled

  For Tiffany Cameron, the past eight months have been a rollercoaster ride filled with uncertainty and challenges. But as she prepares to step back onto the international stage with Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz, the excitement and anticipation are palpable.

  The return of Cameron, and other members of the senior Reggae Girlz 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad, comes after a prolonged dispute with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), which kept her sidelined from international duty.

  They last represented the island in the Olympic Games qualifying playoff away to Canada, last September, but later withdrew their services citing a lack of payment and mistreatment from the country’s governing football body among their reasons.

  With things now back to some semblance of normalcy, Cameron is eager to get going again, after the lengthy pause, as she also expressed delight at the prospects ahead.

  “It always brings joy to my heart to represent Jamaica. It is a special opportunity, and at the same time, international duty is my home away from home,” Cameron told SportsMax.TV from her base in Spain.

  “At times it was very difficult for me to accept that sometimes things behind the scenes with our federation and World Cup players were out of my control, but I knew things would fall into place eventually. While away, I still tuned into our (Jamaica’s) games whenever they were streamed online, and I was impressed by some of the young talent we have. It’s important to take note that everyone in our pool of players matters and can contribute in their own way. Having a larger pool of players will make our squad more competitive,” she added.

  

  While her time away from the national team was difficult, Cameron's form at Real Betis in the Liga F has been on the up, as she heads the team’s scoring chart with six goals, despite playing lesser minutes than her strike partners.

  In fact, the Canada-born player readily admitted adjusting to the style of play and the language barrier in Spain hasn't been easy, even moreso as her team has experienced a series of changes, both on and off the field. They are currently 12th on the standing.

  Still, the experienced 32-year-old, who has paraded her skills in several countries across the world, is grateful, as always, for the opportunity to grow as a player.

  “It’s challenging sometimes playing in Europe. As a black professional athlete, I am constantly having to adapt to different cultures and sometimes I miss being around those who share the same cultural background as me. It’s also a lot more challenging to score here because there were so many changes in the summer, eight players left and a whole new staff arrived. We’ve had to practically build a new team, but I believe if we stay in the league, I will score more goals next season and we will be higher in the table,” Cameron shared.

  “The new coach has helped improve our situation on and off the field and I am very pleased about this. Since he has arrived, we have played six games under him, we won three, tied two and lost one. I’ve also managed to score three important goals in these six games, and I was selected by the league as MVP for two games. Those (MVP awards) meant a lot to me, and it is safe to say that I have proven my value in this environment,” she declared.

  

  After such an intense period, a change of environment is always good for the mind, but Cameron has no intentions of easing up, especially with the Girlz first assignment back being a two-match friendly away to World Cup foes Brazil on June 1 and June 3.

  Both teams crossed path at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups where Brazil won the first meeting 3-0, while the Girlz battled gallantly for a goalless stalemate last year, which booked their spot in the Round of 16.

  “I’m excited to build from the World Cup because now we have a mix of World Cup players, a few new players and some young talent. It will be interesting to see how we progress, and we know we have two very challenging games ahead. We have to stay patient and disciplined defensively and know when it’s time to threaten Brazil’s backline,” she reasoned.

  With Hubert Busby back at the helm as head coach of the Reggae Girlz, Cameron, who is one of 18 players of the World Cup squad called up for the Brazil games, is filled with optimism, and also has high expectations for both the coach and the team.

  “In 2020 coach Busby was building a healthier foundation on and off the field for the Reggae Girlz. I expect him to continue to do that and I’m pleased to have him back. In a way this decision holds close to my heart because he was the coach who initially recruited me to play for Jamaica,” Cameron noted.

  “He believed in my capabilities and knew I would bring value to the squad. That said, I expect communication and conditions to improve amongst players, staff and the federation moving forward,” she ended.

• Alonso wary of Atalanta threat ahead of Europa League showdown

  Bayer Leverkusen will find it tough to overcome Atalanta in the Europa League final, manager Xabi Alonso said. 

  The Italian side knocked out Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and three-times finalists Marseille in previous rounds.

  But Leverkusen have plans of their own as they chase a treble of titles, having recently been crowned as the new Bundesliga champions.

  Currently on an extraordinary 50-match run this season, Leverkusen play Gian Piero Gasperini's side, who are fifth in Serie A, in Dublin on May 22.

  "Atalanta is one of the best teams in Europe. The coach has a clear plan, they have a great mentality and a big squad," Alonso told reporters on Wednesday.

  "If we do our best, we have a chance, but it will be tight. They are a top team."

  With the league title in the bag, Leverkusen are fully focused on winning both their finals, which includes the German Cup clash against Kaiserslautern on May 25.

  But before that, they have a home game against Augsburg in the league on Saturday.

  "The feeling is very good, we're looking forward to playing two finals. It's a great opportunity for us. We have time to prepare. There's still the Bundesliga game, but of course we're already focussing on the two finals," the Spaniard said.

  "With the Bundesliga decided, we can focus more on the Europa League than if there was still something at stake. But the Bundesliga is not over yet, and we respect Augsburg."

  Midfielder Florian Wirtz, who has scored 18 goals for Leverkusen in all competitions this campaign, is better after missing the last two games through injury.

  "We'll take it slowly and look day by day. There's no risk of a more serious injury, it's all about the pain. We'll see how it looks again tomorrow," Alonso added.

• Chicago Fire v Charlotte FC: Smith shrugs off road-trip worries

  Charlotte FC boss Dean Smith believes “mentality” is the main issue for sides daunted by away trips.

  Smith takes his team to face the Chicago Fire on Wednesday, with Charlotte having taken just one point from their five away games in MLS so far this season.

  But Smith struggles to see why there is such a difference in confidence between home and away fixtures.

  “Mentality,” said Smith when asked what the issue was.

  “I believe some people, before they even leave, have accepted it’s going to be tougher. The only reason it’s tougher is because that’s in your head. Yes, you’ve got to travel, you haven’t got home fans or home advantage, but the pitches are still the same size, you’ve still got to get into your box and score a goal, and they’ve got to get in yours and you’ve got to defend your box.

  “I don’t think there’s too much in it other than you have your fans behind you and home comforts. We should have had more points on the road, our performances merited more points but we’ve not taken chances on the road so far.”

  Charlotte have won their last two games, both at home, while the Fire are on a five-game winless run.

  “I’ve just been watching clips of them. It’s going to be a tough game, as everyone keeps telling me, it’s tough on the road,” Smith said.

  “We’ll try to change that. They got beat at the weekend so it’s a bit of a tough time for them but we have to concentrate on ourselves.”

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Chicago Fire – Hugo Cuypers

  The Fire have failed to score in three straight regular-season home games for the third time in club history. Cuypers is their top scorer, with three goals this term, and the onus will be on him to get firing again.

  Charlotte FC – Patrick Agyemang

  Patrick Agyemang scored Charlotte’s winner against Nashville SC last time out, making him the team’s leading scorer in MLS in 2024, with three goals to his name.

  MATCH PREDICTION: CHICAGO WIN

  While Chicago are made the favourites by Opta’s model, Charlotte have recorded back-to-back shutout wins. Charlotte have never won three straight regular-season matches without conceding a goal, something no team has managed to do in MLS in 2024.

  Chicago are winless in five straight games and has just 10 points through their first 12 this season (W2 D4 L6). The Fire have had fewer points at this stage of a season only once before, taking nine points through 12 matches in 2020.

  Charlotte have won three straight matches against the Fire after Chicago won the first meeting, 3-2. Charlotte have never won four straight meetings with a single opponent, though.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Chicago Fire – 41.1%

  Charlotte – 29.9%

  Draw – 29%