Despite a rollercoaster run since their historic showing at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz are still grappling with an age-old issue—defensive frailty. It is a concern that head coach Hubert Busby is not shying away from, as he leads the team through a critical rebuilding phase ahead of World Cup qualifiers later this year.

Though the Reggae Girlz earned international plaudits for shutting out powerhouses France and Brazil and conceding just once en route to the World Cup Round of 16 at the 2023 showpiece, the time since has exposed their soft underbelly. In nine friendlies dating back to June last year, the team has leaked 22 goals, a worrying trend that has threatened to overshadow offensive potential and promising talent integration.

Their most recent loss came against Mexico, where they suffered back-to-back 3-0 and 4-0 defeats.

“Obviously, the results in the Mexico games were not what we wanted. However, we let ourselves down, I believe, in terms of some of the performances. So I think collectively, from a staff and a player standpoint, we'll look to put that right heading into the USA and England games, and we'll take away some of those learning moments in areas where we can improve defensively and apply them into the next series,” Busby told SportsMax.Tv.

Busby remains grounded in his vision to evolve the team’s style and strengthen its foundation. Still, the stats are stark.

Hubert Busby.

Even while winning recent series against South Africa and Peru, the Reggae Girlz conceded twice in each of the second legs. Before that, they were routed 4-0 by Brazil twice and fell 3-0 to France—results that hint at a pattern when facing elite teams.

“We've been experimenting and looking at different players and integrating players from a core group who were out of the programme for nine months with new additions. So taking some time to integrate new players into the programme has been a challenge. But that’s why we’ve played these games, to see where we can improve and to give players valuable match experience against top opposition,” Busby explained.

That balance of continuity and experimentation is central to Busby’s long-term plan, as he expressed satisfaction with the young players brought into the fold while also revealing hopes to reintegrate others soon, pending documentation and fitness clearance.

Though the team’s growing pains are evident, Busby’s approach is laced with patience and pragmatism.

“We’re still in the assessment phase, so there are some players that we would like to integrate back into the programme in the next few matches. Again, we are just waiting for some of the documentation and paperwork to come through. But overall, we've been pleased with the young players that we've been able to integrate into the programme and we look forward to seeing how they progress in the next few windows,” the tactician shared.

Reggae Girlz winger Kalyssa 'Kiki' Van Zanten in action against Mexico.

With matches against the United States on June 3 and a historic friendly against England set for June 29, Busby and his staff are focused on tweaking their playing model, both in and out of possession.

“I think the players have been open about their errors and the areas in which they can improve as well. So now it's really on to the planning stages of the U.S. match, and obviously looking to integrate some more new players into that to see where they are. As we look forward to these upcoming games, we will continue to work on our playing model as it pertains to what we want to do in and out of possession,” the former national goalkeeper stated.

Asked about underwhelming performances against higher-ranked opponents, Busby denied that the team "freezes," pointing instead to tactical and technical mismatches that the Girlz are striving to overcome.

"Having a strong defensive platform gives you the opportunity to win football matches. That’s our focus, building that consistency so we can be more competitive against top teams,” he said.

Reggae Girlz Jody Brown tries to get away from her Mexican marker.

"So, like I said, we will continue to look at players, and from there, pick a squad that will be able to compete against the U.S., and then try to integrate into future camps and windows as well. But narrowing the pool to a core group is vital for cohesiveness, and we know chemistry is especially key against top-tier teams,” Busby noted.

With just five to six months left before qualifiers begin, Busby is well aware of the importance of utilising every window as they remain focused on the objective to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.

“We also want to continue to push the programme through and have some firsts as well, with an eye on the Los Angeles Olympics afterwards. So the next few years are crucial, but right now it's really about focusing on the upcoming games against the U.S. and England, and then we take it from there,” he ended.