Despite a humbling 4-0 loss to the United States in Tuesday's international friendly at Energizer Park, Reggae Girlz assistant coach Deon Burton is focused on moving forward, hopeful that the lessons learned and flashes of resilience shown can serve as a platform for growth heading into another tough test against England later this month.
Facing the top-ranked team in the world and playing under challenging circumstances, including injuries and missing key players, the number 40-ranked Girlz were second-best for most of the contest, as they managed just 17 per cent possession and also failed to register a shot on target. Still, Burton chose to extract the little positives from a lopsided result.
"We knew it was going to be a tough match coming up against the number one team in the world. But I think the disappointing aspect is probably how we conceded the goals. The first one came from a situation we actually worked on, which is defending the back post. A couple of the players were in the right position, but they didn’t make first contact, and they punished us,” Burton said.
The United States opened the scoring in the 19th minute through Ally Sentnor, who pounced on a cushioned cross from Emily Fox to lash home a firm half-volley. Sentnor struck again nine minutes later as she capitalized on a deflection that caught Jamaica flat-footed. Despite a standout save from goalkeeper Liya Brooks in the second half, the Americans added two more in the 60th and 88th through Lynn Biyendolo to seal the rout.
"The second one was a deflection, and the third came after a brilliant save by Liya, who had a great game. We just didn’t follow up, and they put it away. The fourth goal, to be fair, was the only time they really opened us up and got behind us,” Burton explained.
However, there were moments, he noted, when the Girlz showed signs of the defensive grit and structure the technical staff has been trying to instill, even if the final result did not reflect it.
"It was a tough night, but they defended well at times. We just needed that little bit of grit. Once we won the ball back, we needed to turn it over quicker and push up the pitch to gain a bit of territory,” Burton said.
Though their challenges were compounded by a growing injury list that limited personnel options and impacted continuity on the pitch, Burton was quick to praise the effort of the players who stepped up.
"That played a part, definitely, but like I told the Girlz after the match, credit to them. They worked so hard, and that’s what it’s going to take. If we can maintain that level of determination and work rate, it will only bode well when we get into World Cup qualifying," the former Reggae Boy declared.
That said, Burton pointed out that the Girlz transition game from defence to attack remains a concern. While the mid-block shape showed promise in periods, he said the final ball and decision-making after turnovers were areas where the team struggled to create any meaningful forward thrust.
With another stern test to come against England on June 29, Burton is hoping to address those areas as the Hubert Busby-led staff remain determined to use these elite matchups to strengthen the team’s identity and confidence.
"We want to carry over the compact mid-block and the discipline in our defending, but we must improve our transition. We need to be sharper in turning defence into attack. So there are still things to work on, but also a few positives we can build on," Burton ended.