Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz registered their first win in over a year with a comfortable 3-0 beating of South Africa's Banyana Banyana in the first of two international friendlies at the Montego Bay Sports Complex on Friday.
Talismanic captain Khadija "Bunny" Shaw led her team with a brace in the 55th and 83rd minutes, while Siobhan Wilson, making a triumphant return from a lengthy injury layoff, marked her comeback with a stunning opener in the 43rd minute.
While it wasn't the most polished performance, the win was a special homecoming for the core players of the World Cup group, who last played in Jamaica in September 2023. It was also their first win since they defeated Panama in the group stages at last year’s World Cup.
The game began with both teams struggling to find rhythm. The first real chance for Jamaica came in the eighth minute when Deneisha Blackwood delivered a perfectly weighted cross into the box, but Atlanta Primus arrived late and couldn’t connect on an attempted header.
South Africa, though lively in patches, struggled to create clear-cut chances. In fact, they saw very little possession throughout as the Girlz controlled the tempo of the game and went close in the 28th, but Shaw’s effort was deflected out.
The resulting corner provided the breakthrough for the Reggae Girlz in spectacular fashion as Wilson, brimming with determination, delivered a sensational goal straight from a corner flag. The ball curled wickedly past a bewildered Andile Dlamini in the South African goal, igniting the home crowd.
They should have doubled their lead moments later when Jade Bailey's perfectly lofted ball sent Shaw one-on-one with Dlamini. The Manchester City striker rounded the goalkeeper but was left frustrated as her effort clattered off the upright.
With the score unchanged at the break, the Girlz gradually upped the tempo on the resumption and almost pushed further ahead two minutes in when Shaw laid off a back heel for Primus, who was let down by her first touch and allowed Dlamini to collect.
South Africa tried to play their game and had their best opportunity at goal in the 53rd minute when Linda Motlhalo's shot from the top of the 18-yard box was parried by 19-year-old Liya Brooks, making her senior debut in goal for Jamaica.
The Girlz regained control of the game and inevitably doubled the lead when Shaw, always a threat, combined brilliantly with Jody Brown in the 55th minute. Brown broke down the right and squared the ball to Shaw, who slotted home from close range.
Despite the comfortable scoreline, Jamaica occasionally lacked sharpness in the final third, as Shaw had a chance to seal her hat-trick in the 57th minute but fired the right-footed effort over the bar.
However, Shaw made amends in the latter stages of the game when Konya Plummer’s incisive through ball found her on the break. The towering striker turned her marker and buried a composed left-footed finish to put the game beyond doubt seven minutes from time.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Pareja not trying to 'interfere' with Orlando's dynamic ahead of first conference final
Oscar Pareja says he will not "interfere" with Orlando City's energy ahead of their meeting with the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference final.
Orlando will play in the conference final for the first time after edging to a 1-0 victory over Atlanta United in the semifinals last Saturday.
Their impressive defensive record has carried them through the playoffs so far, with a penalty shootout defeat their only blot during the playoffs so far.
With just one game standing between them and the MLS Cup final, Pareja is confident his team have all the motivation they need to come out on top at Inter & Co Stadium on Saturday.
"We have tried this week to stay concentrated on our responsibility and the opportunity that we have," Pareja told reporters.
"We're very proud that the group has achieved this for the club and fans, but we're eager to go for much more than that. The boys are ready, so I try not to interfere too much.
"We don't need to do anything different. It's the most important [game], but I hope I can say this after the next game when there's another one that's more important.
Meanwhile, New York are playing their sixth conference final after beating local rivals New York City FC 2-0 in the semifinals last week.
The Red Bulls came from behind after losing their first playoff game to Columbus Crew at home, but they have impressed on the road, winning both games so far.
Head coach Sandro Schwarz is expecting a tough test in Orlando and is keen to cut out some of the sloppiness he has seen during the postseason.
"We have to play more clean, like the first half against NYCFC, to not think too much about the big moments," he said.
"We have to play with a more clear direction to the goal with our transition moments. That's necessary.
"We know about the quality of Orlando, and we need the same intensity and behaviour in our pressing to be strong."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Orlando City – Ramiro Enrique
Ramiro Enrique scored the lone goal in Orlando's win over Atlanta United in the conference semifinals, his ninth goal overall this season, all since the beginning of July.
Enrique and Facundo Torres (11 goals) are two of just 11 players with nine or more goals since the start of July (regular season & playoffs).
New York Red Bulls – Dante Vanzeir
Dante Vanzeir orchestrated the Red Bulls' win over rivals NYCFC in the conference semifinals, assisting Felipe Carballo's opener before scoring the second.
He has assisted 10 goals in MLS this season, more than any other player on the team.
MATCH PREDICTION: ORLANDO CITY WIN
This will be the first-ever playoff meeting between Orlando City and the Red Bulls.
Orlando have reached the conference final for the first time in the team's history after allowing just one total goal through their first four matches of the 2024 postseason. They are the fifth team in MLS history to allow just one goal over a span of four matches in a single postseason.
New York defeated Orlando 1-0 at home on June 1 to end a four-match losing streak against the Lions in all competitions.
The Red Bulls have reached the conference final for the sixth time in club history and the first since 2018. New York lost all five previous times they reached the Eastern Conference Final, with their only MLS Cup Final appearance coming in 2008 as Western Conference Champions.
The Red Bulls have won back-to-back road playoff games to reach the conference final, the third time they have won consecutive road games in a single postseason (2008, 2017). The only team to win three straight road games within a single postseason was the Chicago Fire in 1998.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Orlando City – 52.2%
Draw – 24.4%
New York Red Bulls – 23.4%
Martin: Southampton building up belief after earning first away point
Russell Martin believes Southampton have been building up their belief in recent weeks, which helped them earn a 1-1 draw with south coast rivals Brighton on Friday.
Flynn Downes scored his maiden Premier League goal to cancel out Kaoru Mitoma's first-half header to earn the Saints a first away point of the season.
They could have taken home all three points, but Cameron Archer's goal was disallowed for offside as Adam Armstrong was judged to have interfered with play from an offside position in the build-up.
Southampton remain bottom of the table, four points behind Wolves in 17th, but ended a run of nine straight Premier League away defeats.
"I liked a lot of it. I think we have been better than that and not got a point," Martin told BBC Sport.
"The second half I really liked. First half: a lack of conviction and aggression in certain moments. They responded brilliantly. Good performance against a good team.
"[Downes' goal was a] brilliant finish. A really good move from back to front. I liked the courage. We need to keep turning the screw. If they keep giving us everything, the results will change.
"They have been creeping up with belief. We've had a difficult level of opponent. We were excellent and went toe-to-toe with a team who have gone second."
Brighton sit second in the table after that result, at least temporarily ahead of the rest of the weekend's fixtures.
The Seagulls have failed to win five of the last 10 home league games where they scored the opening goal (D5), after winning each of the last nine before that.
However, Fabian Hurzeler is the first manager to avoid defeat in each of his first seven home games in the Premier League (W3 D4) since Maurizio Sarri with Chelsea in 2018-19.
The German was left frustrated, however, as his side failed to take a slew of good opportunities in the opening period.
"It was not the best game from us regarding our intensity and positional game," he told Sky Sports. "We only deserve the result like this.
"We should have finished the game in the first half, but we didn't and then we got punished.
"We had to make some changes, and we tried to get an impact on the game. We have to keep working, and it's a process, it takes time, and we have to improve for the next game.
"You have to focus on the small details if you want to win in the Premier League. We should see what the reality is. The reality is we have a lot of hard work to do."
Wilder 'always felt there was a winner' in Sheffield United after dramatic late win
Chris Wilder said he "always felt there was a winner" inside Sheffield United as they snatched a late win over Sunderland to go top of the Championship.
A thrilling first half saw a Patrick Roberts penalty saved by Michael Cooper after Jack Robinson's foul on Tom Watson before each side was shown a red card apiece before the break.
Chris Mepham received his marching orders in the 40th minute for bringing down last-man Tyrese Campbell before Harry Souttar was dismissed seven minutes later for a second booking after tugging back Wilson Isidor.
Anthony Patterson made smart saves to keep Sunderland level, but he was helpless when Tom Davies, on his return from injury, slotted an 83rd-minute winner past him.
It is an eighth clean sheet in a row at home for United, and Wilder was delighted with how they dug deep to get the three points.
"The last 20 to 25 minutes, there was only one team that looked like winning in my opinion," Wilder told Sky Sports. "That last 25 minutes were outstanding, and the fitness levels were amazing.
"We needed to control the middle of the park and when we did, I thought we were good. We still made poor decisions. When you make poor decisions, it becomes a basketball game.
"I always felt there was a winner inside us, and I never felt like they were going to score."
Meanwhile, Sunderland stay fourth in the table after their 10-match unbeaten run came to an end at Bramall Lane.
They had more shots (16 to United's 14) and created a higher expected goals (xG) tally with 1.69 to the hosts' 0.89, though their missed penalty was one of just two efforts on target.
Regis Le Bris was left lamenting his side's wasted chances as they missed the chance to go top themselves if they had won.
"My first thought is frustration," he told the club's media channels. "We played the game we wanted to play.
"Obviously, it was against a strong team in a tough place, but we dominated most of the game, and we were good out of possession and efficient.
"We took confidence, and the last point was to score, but we didn't, and my main concern is that one. How can we be so dominant against a strong team only to lose at the end?
"It's really frustrating, but it's a question of luck. We have to work; we have to build up the small details to find a solution."
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