The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) issued a statement on Tuesday congratulating the Reggae Girlz on their qualification to a second consecutive World Cup.
The Girlz secured their spot in Australia and New Zealand next year with a 4-0 win over Haiti in Mexico on Monday.
“The Jamaica Football Federation wholeheartedly congratulates the Senior Women’s National Team, the Reggae Girlz, for their qualification to successive FIFA Women’s World Cups,” the Federation said to start the statement.
The statement continues: “Their creation of history, once again, has been due their unquestionable strength of purpose, character, determination, unity and patriotism. We commend and lift them up to Jamaica as living example of what is possible even when tremendous challenges abound. The JFF thanks and congratulates the entire technical staff, led by Head Coach Lorne Donaldson who had the team together less than three weeks before the start of the tournament. Finally, none of this would have been possible without our partners, the Bob Marley Foundation, the Reggae Girlz Foundation, the Ministry of Sports and all the well-wishers and supporters. We wish the team further success in their remaining games beginning with the semi-final fixture against Canada on Thursday, 14th.”
Reggae Girlz striker and captain Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw says leading her country to a second straight World Cup “means a lot.”
The Manchester City striker was in fine form in Monday’s game, scoring a brace to help her side to a dominant 4-0 victory over the Haitians to secure a second consecutive World Cup berth.
“It means a lot, especially because throughout the beginning of the campaign we came under a lot of pressure. We just stood together and held our composure,” said Shaw.
“We knew that once we did that, at the end of the day we were going to be victorious and, I think, it just goes to show that we’re a small island, but we can do big things,” Shaw added.
Despite already booking their spot in Australia and New Zealand next year, their CONCACAF Women’s Championship campaign is not over with a semi-final against Canada on Thursday at 9:00pm Jamaica time (10:00pm EST). Defending world champions the USA will tackle Costa Rica in the other semi-final.
Shaw outlined how the team can overcome the challenge of the unbeaten Canadians.
“We need to remain confident and stay positive. We also have to continue to support each other and communicate. If we continue to stick together and stay confident, I’m sure we can do big things,” Shaw said.
Gareth Bale's new Los Angeles FC team-mate Jose Cifuentes has explained why he decided to hand over his squad number to Major League Soccer's latest star import.
Bale signed for LAFC in June after leaving Real Madrid on the expiration of his contract.
The Welsh winger, who turns 33 this week, has signed a one-year deal with the MLS team, though that deal can be extended through to 2024.
With a World Cup campaign with Wales on the horizon in Qatar, Bale has the chance to stay at the top of his game in California, and he will be able to do so while wearing his preferred shirt number – 11.
Bale has worn the number 11 for his country for over a decade, while he also wore it in his last season at Tottenham in 2013-14, and his first seven campaigns with Madrid.
With the number occupied by Erik Lamela when Bale returned to Spurs on loan in 2020, the forward took number nine, while he was given the number 18 last season for Los Blancos.
However, even though Cifuentes was already wearing 11 for LAFC, he was happy to hand it over to Bale.
Writing on his official Instagram account, Cifuentes said: "[Number] 11 has accompanied my career at LAFC from the beginning and although it is special and has an important meaning, I have decided to give it to Gareth, who has used that number much longer than me.
"My interest is to contribute so that my team-mates, the club and the fans feel supported by me and with this gesture I want to demonstrate that.
"Let's stay together because we need each other to achieve the goals."
Cifuentes scored twice in LAFC's last game, a 3-2 derby win over LA Galaxy, with only Carlos Vela and Cristian Arango having managed more MLS goals than the midfielder among his team-mates so far in 2022.
Bale's MLS debut is likely to come against Nashville later this week.
Driven by an over-arching ambition to build the best high school football programme in Jamaica, Hydel High School has begun the process by hiring Devon Anderson.
Anderson, who coached Holy Trinity High to the 2014 Flow Cup Finals and the 2014 and 2016 Manning Cup semi-finals, confirmed his position as the new head coach of Hydel High School on Monday.
“I am elated to be part of this Hydel Group. I am optimistic and raring to go as far as the coming season is confirmed,” he told Sportsmax. TV.
“The management team is putting together the players. They call me the builder and once they give me the raw material I will start building the programme.”
Among the players who have developed under Anderson’s guidance are Phillon Lawrence and Nicholas Hamilton, who play for newly crowned Jamaica Premier League champions Harbour View FC, Tevin Rochester, who suits up for the University of Nebraska, Omaha, Waterhouse FC forward Andre Leslie and Portmore United’s Shai Smith.
In further confirming Anderson’s appointment Hydel High board member Trevin Nairne revealed that the school has big plans for the future and it all starts with the man, who coached at Trinity High for more than two decades.
“The management board of the Hydel Group of Schools is determined to continue our development of the island's premier student-athletes via the establishment of one of Jamaica's leading football programmes,” Nairne said.
“It is our intention to build a comprehensive system from the U14 through the U17 culminating at the U19 - Manning Cup level. We intend to build a programme that serves our students by helping them matriculate into tertiary institutions locally and overseas and where possible into the professional ranks.”
Nairne, who was once the General Manager at Jamaica Premier League outfit Portmore United, explained why Anderson is the best man for the job.
“The committee considers Devon Anderson as one of the brightest football minds around and one who has a true passion for developing and moulding youngsters into the better versions of themselves,” he said.
“His work ethic is second to none and the work he did with Holy Trinity often goes unheralded. We believe with the correct structure and support Devon will have the opportunity to develop a strong football culture that wins.”
There haven’t been many wins for Hydel in Jamaican schoolboy football but over the past decade, they have shown glimpses of what is possible under a structured programme.
Hydel lost to the many-time champions St George’s College in 2012. Six years later, they won the 2018 Walker Cup title, the pinnacle of the school’s football achievements.
However, as the saying goes ‘Rome was not built in a day', so Nairne expects the building process guided by a fundamental philosophy that is paramount to any goal is the holistic development of the players.
“We have a philosophy of the Head, Heart and Hands. To provide an integrated education of the head, heart and hands as the means by which to graduate responsible student-athletes with the knowledge, experience, character and passion to improve the communities in which they live, work and serve,” he explained.
“We respect what other institutions have done but we are not aiming to replicate what others have done. We have a unique philosophy which will take some time to harness but you will see glimpses of it taking shape from day one.
“We don't know how some institutions judge success but we aim to develop a system that wins while creating strong student-athletes who go to college or go pro.
Those who pass through the Hydel programme will be productive members of our society.”
The Hydel vision also means that while not ruling out recruiting players, the school will use the available talent from their existing student population, preparing them to transition through high school and into the collegiate system in Jamaica and overseas.
“I wouldn't necessarily point to any one feeder institution per se. Hydel Prep is the easiest to consider the feeder for obvious reasons,” Nairne reasoned.
“Hydel already has numerous connections to tertiary institutions in North America and we will look to strengthen these connections as well as add a few others over time.”
As for the coming season, Nairne believes that under the guidance of Anderson, Hydel will be competitive with the aim of improving each year going forward.
“We hope to have a disciplined and competitive team this first season with realistic ambitions. Remember that greatness can't be rushed. We will be patient with the system and the persons within,” he said.
“Our plan is to further develop the culture of this excellent institution.”
Gareth Bale insisted Major League Soccer is "not a retirement league", and he hopes his move to Los Angeles FC will allow him to stay in contention for Wales at least until Euro 2024.
While his initial deal with LAFC is only a one-year agreement, it could be extended through to 2024, when Wales will be hoping to compete in the European Championship.
Bale left Real Madrid at the end of June after his contract was allowed to expire, with the forward – who was once the most expensive player of all time – enduring a difficult final few years at the Santiago Bernabeu.
His attitude and commitment to Madrid were often called into question by supporters, who routinely voiced their frustration towards him in recent years.
But Bale has continued to be worshipped by Wales supporters, and he more than played his part in helping them secure qualification to the World Cup for the first time since 1958 earlier this year.
Keeping himself fit ahead of Qatar 2022 is undoubtedly a key reason for the move to MLS, although Bale was eager to stress how he sees the potential for a long-term future in the United States.
While MLS has garnered a reputation for being a league where high-profile European players go to retire, Bale is adamant that is no longer the case.
"Like I said, this is a league that's really grown, that's come a long way in the last 10 years," he told reporters at his official presentation on Monday.
"Everyone's striving to improve the league, the players who come over see that as well. I don't think anyone sees it now as a retirement league, it's really a league that's physical, demanding; the weather changes are difficult, the travel is difficult.
"But it's exciting, and to play football in front of fans like these is what you play football for."
Bale's new club were only founded in 2014, debuting in MLS in 2018, but have since gone on to make a real impression on the sport in North America, even reaching the final of the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League.
Many were surprised by Bale's decision to head for the States given he reportedly had offers from English clubs and boyhood team Cardiff City, but he is convinced the European perception of MLS is outdated.
"I've watched MLS for a long time," he said. "Obviously the time difference makes it difficult, but whenever I could watch I'd try to catch it on the TV.
"The standard is really increasing, it's a lot better than people in Europe really think.
"The quality is improving, the league is improving, the stadiums are improving, the teams are improving.
"It's a league really on the rise. Yes, it's a new club, but it feels like it's been here forever. The job Larry [Freedman] and John [Thorrington, co-presidents] and rest of the team here have done to create such an amazing fanbase so quickly is remarkable.
"It's testament to how well the club is run, and I'm happy to be a part of it.
"To have my first training session today was amazing, the first step in hopefully a long journey."
Racing Louisville defender Satara Murray will be in the line-up for the Reggae Girlz in their crucial Concacaf Women’s Championship final round fixture against Haiti after being cleared to represent the Caribbean side on Monday by FIFA.
Haiti and Jamaica are currently second and third in Group A and Monday’s match, scheduled to begin at 9:00 pm Jamaica time (10:00 pm EST) at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer will determine who joins the USA as automatic qualifiers to next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The 29-year-old Murray, who can play as either a right-back or a centre-back, is expected to replace Denisha Blackwood in the Reggae Girlz line-up who is out due to suspension because of an accumulation of yellow cards.
“I’m relieved, happy and blessed to be involved with the game today and I’m thankful and excited to see what we can do. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” said Murray in a pre-match interview.
“I’m excited to be out there with the girls tonight and get the job done. That’s why I came here. I came to this camp to help us qualify for a World Cup and that’s what I want to do. I want to be a part of that,” said the former Liverpool defender.
“Leadership and my physical presence,” were her responses when asked what she hopes to bring to the team.
“I’m hoping those can help us win tonight because Haiti is a physical team and that’s one of my best attributes,” she added.
Bangladesh secured a comfortable six-wicket win over the West Indies at Providence in Guyana on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in their three-match One-Day International series.
The win was Bangladesh’s first win on their tour having lost both the Test and T20 International series 2-0.
The win also means that Bangladesh have now won their last six ODIs against the hosts, a fact that West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran says the team is well aware of.
“We know Bangladesh has had us in the last couple series but that’s ok. I feel like we’re still going to win this series. We’re 1-0 down but we can come again on Wednesday with better plans and punch back,” said Pooran in a post-match interview.
The skipper lamented the team’s lack of runs on the board in the 41 overs-per-side game, being restricted to a subpar 149-9.
“We definitely didn’t have enough runs on the board. If we had got close to 175 or 200 on that wicket, it’d be interesting to see how the game would have turned out. We also could’ve bowled a bit better in the powerplay. It’s going to be a challenge for us but we just need to keep figuring out ways to win cricket games, especially in the ODI format,” Pooran said.
On the other hand, “Fantastic,” was how Pooran described debutant Gudakesh Motie’s performance with the ball.
Motie took his first international wicket on the way to a tidy 1-18 off nine overs.
“He got his opportunity in front of his home crowd and delivered. Unfortunately, he was on the losing side but the way he bowled nine overs for 18 runs is fabulous and we’re expecting him to continue to bowl like this, not just in this series but in the future as well,” he added.
The 27-year-old Motie, who also made his Test debut on this tour, got his chance in the ODI format on the back of a stellar campaign in the 2021 Super 50 Cup which saw him finish as the competition’s leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets in seven matches as Guyana got all the way to the final, losing to Trinidad & Tobago.
After being shut out in the respective Test and T20 series, Bangladesh struck back on Sunday to defeat the West Indies by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in their three-match ODI series at Providence in Guyana.
In the match reduced to 41 overs because of a wet outfield, Bangladesh won the toss and sent the West Indies in to bat. The home side was in early trouble losing Shai Hope first ball, bowled by an inswinger from Mustafizur Rahman for nought.
On a pitch of uneven bounce and taking spin, the West Indies struggled to rotate the strike. They lost Kyle Mayers for 10 in the 12th over when the score was on 32. It would get a lot worse eight overs later when after limping to 55-2, they lost Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks off consecutive deliveries of the 21st over bowled by Shoriful Islam for eight and 33, respectively.
The dismissals brought together Captain Nicholas Pooran (18) and Vice-Captain Rovman Powell (9), who together put on 20 for the fifth wicket. Mehidy Hasan Miraz removed both in quick succession to have the West Indies tottering on 91-6.
Shoriful picked up his third and fourth wickets with the dismissals of Romario Shepherd for 15 and Gudakesh Motie for 7, which along with the run out of Akeal Hosein for 3, saw the West Indies stumble to 110-9 in over 35.
Jayden Seales and Anderson Phillip, who were unbeaten on 16 and 21, respectively put on 39 for the last wicket to take the West Indies to 149-9.
Shoriful returned figures of 4-34 while Mehidy took 3-36.
Needing 150 for their first victory of the series, Bangladesh lost the wickets of Liton Das for 1 with the score at 9 and Tamim Iqbal for 33 when the score was 49 but still raced to 77-2 after 13 overs.
The tourists would lose the wickets of Najmul Hossain Shanto for 37 and Afif Hossain for nine as Bangladesh closed in on the victory but Mahmudullah 41 not out and Nurul Hasan (20) ensured that there would be no further jitters as they eased to 151-4 with 55 balls to spare.
Motie, who dismissed Shanto for the first wicket of his international career, bowled well for figures of 1-18 from nine overs while Pooran took 1-39 from seven. Akeal Hosein took 1-43.
High-profile debutant Hector Herrera led an inspired fightback for the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, with his side equalising twice to earn a 2-2 draw with FC Dallas.
After coming from behind and scoring an injury-time winner last time out in the Texas derby, the Toros hit the lead relatively early via captain Matt Hedges in the 27th minute.
Somewhat overshadowing the derby, Mexico international and recent high-profile signing Hector Herrera made his debut for the Dynamo, and it transformed the match.
Herrera moved to his natural position deeper in midfield upon his introduction, and his quick thinking at the dead ball allowed for Thorleifur Ulfarsson's equaliser in the 69th minute.
Jesus Ferreira scored in the 93rd minute for what appeared to be a winner for Dallas, but Teenage Hadebe scored a second equaliser for the Dynamo in the 111th minute, in what was a heated second half.
The Toros have not won in the MLS since May, bringing the LA Galaxy, Minnesota United and Nashville in contention for a home playoff in the Western Conference, despite Real Salt Lake's 2-2 draw against the Colorado Rapids.
Austin FC moved to second spot in the West, meanwhile, earning a 3-0 win over Atlanta United. Sebastian Driussi came off the bench to round out the scoring after a goal and assist from Ethan Finlay in the opening 20 minutes, setting up Felipe Martins.
Portland Timbers were 3-0 winners over the Seattle Sounders, while Charlotte defeated Nashville 4-1. In other inter-conference play, Toronto FC played out a 2-2 draw with the SJ Earthquakes while Sporting KC defeated CF Montreal 2-1.
New York RB kept top spot in the Eastern Conference, but could only manage a 1-1 draw against a nine-man Cincinnati, following second-half dismissals for Allan Cruz and Luciano Acosta. Elsewhere in the East, Derrick Etienne scored a double off the bench to give Columbus Crew a 3-2 victory.
New York City moved to within a point of their cross-town rivals and Philadelphia Union, with a Valentin Castellanos brace helping them to a 4-2 win over the New England Revolution.
In Saturday's final game, a Damion Lowe own-goal in the 92nd minute handed Orlando City the three points, defeating Inter Miami 1-0..
West Indies One Day International captain Nicholas Pooran believes the team is still searching for the right approach to be able to reap success in the format.
Despite some promising signs in both the Test and T20 versions of the sport, the team Windies have continued to accumulate indifferent results in 50-over cricket. Currently ranked at 9th in the world, the team has won just 4 of the last 10 games and won only one against a team in the top 10.
In their last encounter, the team struggled to come to grips with Pakistan in a 3-0 loss after a convincing win against the Netherlands prior to that. Recently appointed Pooran, however, believes the team is still trying to find its legs.
“There are a lot of new guys on the team and we need to learn to play together as a group. You just have to be patient, the ODI format is between the Test and the T20, and the mindset is changing. We just need to get the right mindset, the right template, and just stick with it for a bit, I am really looking forward to the Bangladesh game,” Pooran said.
The West Indies will play Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series, beginning in Guyana tomorrow.
Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) Senior Men’s Selection Panel has named Romario Shepherd in the 13-member squad to face Bangladesh in the three-match CG United One-Day International (ODI) Series.
Shepherd was originally a reserve but will now replace Keemo Paul, who tested positive for COVID-19 and is therefore unavailable. Odean Smith has been added as the reserve.
Shepherd bowled well in the recent T20 International (T20I) Series, where he was the leading wicket-taker with 6 wickets (average 11.33; economy 7.5) including a career-best 3-21 in the first T20I at Windsor Park, Dominica.
He will now have the opportunity, subject to selection, to play more games in front of his home crowd at the Guyana National Stadium.
FULL SQUAD
Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
Shai Hope (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Kaecy Carty
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Gudakesh Motie
Anderson Phillip
Rovman Powell
Jayden Seales
Romario Shepherd
Reserve: Odean Smith
Talismanic Jamaica Reggae Girlz forward Khadijah Shaw insists the team will rely on the experience of being in similar situations ahead of Monday’s must-win CONCACAF W Championship encounter.
Heading into the final match of group A, the Jamaicans find themselves in third spot, behind Haiti on goal difference with both on three points. Only the top two teams from each group will advance to next year’s tournament, with the third-place team heading to a playoff.
The Reggae Girlz made history by qualifying for the 2019 edition of the tournament. On that occasion the team also found themselves in a tight situation, needing to beat Panama to secure a spot. On that occasion, the team prevailed in a dramatic penalty shootout win.
“We’ve been on this journey before. When we qualified for the World Cup and we beat Panama, we lost to the US, so it’s not new to us it’s just to bounce back,” Shaw said in assessing the situation.
“We know what’s at stake. So, it’s just to regroup, look at our mistakes, and hopefully not let it happen in the next game,” she added.
“They’re a physical team that always gets the job done and that’s credit to them. Going into that game we just have to match that physicality and effort and play our game. Once we come out doing what we know we can do best I think we can get the job done.”
The Jamaica Football Federation is saddened after receiving news that Jedine Carr's life was taken by the bullet of a gunman on Friday while she travelled to football training.
Jedine was a member of the Jamaica Under-15 team that traveled to China to participate in the Chinese Football Development Exchange Programme in 2018.
She was called to the Under 17 National Training squad, played Under 15 football for St. Thomas and was a member of the Yallahs High team which participated in the aborted ISSA School Girls Competition in 2020. Her most recent games were played with the Proven Girls Academy in the ISSA Construction 2022 Reinas Cup.
“I call upon Jamaicans to stand up to this bulging monster called crime and fight against what now seems to be a passive acceptance of it,” said Michael Ricketts, President of the JFF.
“We are losing so many young and industrious people to gun violence. Jedine did everything right and was making big strides to brighten her future when her life was snuffed out. Profound condolences to her family, friends, teammates and the St Thomas Football Association. Please stay strong in these challenging times,” Ricketts added.
Gareth Bale hailed the "incredible reception" he received after being presented to the Los Angeles FC fans for the first time since his move to the MLS leaders.
The former Real Madrid and Tottenham forward recently joined the MLS franchise on a one-year deal, which could be extended through to 2024, following his departure from Los Blancos.
The Wales international will be hoping for plenty of game time ahead of the World Cup later this year, and what will be the Dragons' first appearance at the finals since 1958.
Bale arrived in California on Friday and received a rapturous reception at the Banc of California Stadium when he was paraded to the supporters ahead of his new side's 'El Trafico' derby against rivals LA Galaxy.
LAFC ran out 3-2 winners and the 32-year-old is excited by the ongoing project at the franchise formed back in 2014.
"What an incredible reception I had when I came in," he told ESPN.
"The best prep [for the World Cup] is to play games.
"I want to come here. I want to play games and make my stamp and do as best I can to try and help LAFC win a trophy.
"And I can help with the youngsters because it's a very young team here, give them advice, seeing what I do in terms of professional standard and try to help them.
"The league is a growing league. It was an exciting opportunity I felt was right for me and my family.
"It's very new, but it's something that's really glamorous. It's just a very attractive club."
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