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• Defensive dynamo: Roxanna McLean eyes continued growth after standout performances at Americas Netball World Youth Cup Qualifiers

  In every tournament, there is always that one individual that sticks out among their peers. Not in a negative way, like the proverbial sore thumb, but because of their skillful plays and standout performances.

  Jamaica's Roxanna McLean is one such individual who excelled among her peers, as her name echoed with every game in which she served as a defensive pillar at the recently-concluded Americas Netball World Youth Cup qualifiers in Guadeloupe.

  Not only did the 20-year-old defender and captain lead Jamaica to victory in the Under-21 tournament, but she also earned the prestigious titles of Best Defender and Player of the Tournament, which solidified her status as a rising star in netball. 

  While the accolades were a testament to her hard work, dedication, and the impact she had throughout the tournament, McLean attributed the success to her coaches—Phyllis Thompson and Nicole Aiken-Pinnock—and teammates.

  “I’m incredibly honoured to receive these awards, which are just a testament to our hard work. Every time I go out there on court, I ensure to stay disciplined but hungry to get as many tips, gains, or intercepts as possible,” a beaming McLean told SportsMax.TV.

  “But these awards are not just mine; they belong to the entire team because it has been a challenging journey, but with the support of my teammates and coaches, we achieved something special,” she added.

  That special something for McLean, who had a stint with the senior Sunshine Girls against England Roses last year, is the fact that they entered the tournament with high hopes and a determination to secure their place in next year’s Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar, and they achieved it.

  

  Guided by strategic gameplay and team cohesion, the young Sunshine Girls navigated the qualifiers with poise and precision as they went unbeaten throughout, with crucial 40-33 and 54-29 victories coming against Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados in the semi-final and final, a feat that McLean believes underscored their dominance in the region.

   “Qualifying for the World Youth Cup is a big accomplishment for all of us. We worked incredibly hard going into tournament, which basically prepared us mentally and physically for the challenges that we faced from teams like Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. We now have the opportunity to represent our country on the world stage, which is an even bigger honour,” McLean, who found her passion for netball at Denbigh High school, shared. 

  Still, the bubbly player, who possesses an exceptional ability to read the game, knows all too well that the young Sunshine Girls’ defensive strategy and attacking plays were not all that polished. As such, McLean’s focus is already on continuous improvement with hopes of achieving greater feats.

  In fact, though her personal accolades are motivation, the Moneague College student declared that the ultimate goal remains the success of her team.

  “One of my biggest goals right now is to really hone my skills. There is a lot of room for improvement in my game and a lot more for me to learn, so that is my main focus going forward, as I always want to be at my best to make my coaches teammates and country proud,” McLean stated.

  “So, I will definitely be putting in a lot of hard work, both individually and with the team, at our training sessions. Because we have a lot of work to do before Gibraltar, so we will continue to train hard and develop our game, and we have two of the best coaches with us to see to that. So I’m excited for what’s to come,” she ended.

• Young Reggae Boyz mauled 9-0 by United States in Concacaf U-20 Champs opener; Cuba hold Costa Rica

  It was like lambs to the slaughter as Jamaica’s young Reggae Boyz started the Concacaf Men's Under-20 Championship with a dismal performance and were mauled 9-0 by United States at the Miguel Aleman Valdez Stadium in Mexico on Friday.

  The Jamaicans, who would have entered the tournament confident of a good performance, did little to show that they will be competitive in the tournament, which serves as a qualifier for next year’s Under-20 World Cup in Chile.

  With the win, reigning champions United States took pole position on three points, ahead of Cuba and Costa Rica, who played out a 1-1 stalemate in the curtain-raiser of the Group A double-header.

  Jamaica’s young Reggae Boyz had no response to the onslaught of three-time champions United States, who, in a frantic start, raced to a 4-0 lead inside 21 minutes.

  In fact, Jamaica’s lone effort on target was from an ambitious 25th-minute freekick from captain Adrian Reid Jr, driven along the wet surface from well over 30 yards out.

  David Vazquez grabbed an early brace in the 2^nd and 3^rd minutes, as he opened the scoring with an easy finish from deep inside the box, and he later drove home a left-footer in similar fashion.

  Pedro Soma struck with a left-footed strike of his own in the 16th to extend United States lead, and he too completed a brace in the 20th with another left-footed hit inside the box.

  Not even a slew of early substitutions by Jamaica’s head coach, Jerome Waite, could stop the carnage, as Cruz Medina capitalised on their sloppy defending to finish off a loose ball and put United States 5-0 up at the break.

  

  As the evening rains continued to drizzle, the one-way traffic continued on the resumption when Marcos Zambrano struck in the 54^th as United States maintained their offensive efficiency.

  Ruben Ramos scored in the 67th to make it seven, before Nimfasha Berchimas added another in the 77th.

  Nikolas Tsakiris then capped the win with a close range effort in the 90+1 minute.

  Earlier, Samuel Rodriguez’s eight-minute penalty put Cuba in front, but the Spanish-speaking Caribbean island couldn’t maintain the lead, as Esteban Cruz (52nd) earned Costa Rica a share of the spoils.

  It was a contest that could have gone either way, but for excellent glove work by Cuba’s Yurdy Hodelin and his Costa Rican counterpart Berny Rojas, as both teams had their fair share of chances.

  After Leonardo Alfaro’s 23^rd minute strike for Costa Rica came back off the crossbar, Hodelin kept out Andy Rojas’ 30th-minute penalty kick.

  Costa Rica’s custodian, Berny Rojas, came up big twice to deny Aniel Casanova and Cristian Mendoza in quick succession.

  Action in Group A will resume on Monday with the young Reggae Boyz to lock horns with Costa Rica, while Cuba will face the United States in the feature contest at the same venue.

• Lacazette confident of leading France to gold at Paris Olympics

  Alexandre Lacazette is confident France can secure a second-ever gold medal ahead of the start of their Paris Olympics campaign next week. 

  France last triumphed in the competition at the 1984 games in Los Angeles, failing to reach the knockout stages at the Tokyo Olympics back in 2020. 

  But under the guidance of Thierry Henry, who scored 51 goals for Les Bleus during his international career, the French are among the favourites to scoop the top honour.

  Henry's side have won two of their three pre-tournament friendlies this month, the latest result ending in a 1-1 draw with Japan, who won bronze at the 1968 games. 

  Lacazette was named by Henry as the nation's captain ahead of the competition, and will lead Les Bleus' star-studded line-up out for their opening game against the United States in Marseille on Wednesday. 

  Jean-Philippe Mateta, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and Manu Kone are just some of the names at Henry's disposal. 

  Having not featured for Didier Deschamps' side since 2017, Lacazette explained that the squad are in unison of achieving gold at their home games. 

  "We all have the same ambition, to go all the way and win a medal," the 33-year-old said. "The fact that it’s a home games is really going to motivate us."

  Henry has lost just two of his 11 games in charge of France's U21 and U23 sides (W7, D2) since being appointed back in August 2023. 

  Former Arsenal forward Lacazette said Henry wanted the team to play an attacking, possession-based style of football heading into the tournament.

  "Tactically, he is decidedly forward-thinking... he especially wants us to enjoy ourselves and put on a show for the spectators,” Lacazette said.

  Following their Group A opener against the United States, France will play Guinea and New Zealand.