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• Hood takes heart from Gold Cup qualifying campaign, says continuity critical for women's programme

  Despite a failed Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup qualifying campaign, Trinidad and Tobago senior women’s Head coach Richard Hood took heart from the effort of his team, as he forecast that much more can be achieved, provided there is continuity going forward.

  Hood’s sentiments followed a spirited performance by his team in limiting regional powerhouse Mexico to one goal, on their home leg at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo. This was particularly pleasing because Trinidad and Tobago were hammered 6-0 when they first visited the Mexicans.

  So, while the twin island republic didn’t secure a spot in next year’s Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup group stage or preliminary round, Hood felt their objective, which was continued improvement, was met for the parts.

  Trinidad and Tobago finished at the bottom of the three-team League A group with a solitary point, as Mexico (12 points) and Puerto Rico (four points) progressed to the inaugural Gold Cup.
  
  "I was satisfied with the efforts from the team and satisfied with the organisation. I am not so much satisfied with the offensive part, as I thought we struggled to keep the ball," Hood said.
  
  "I am happy with the performance and the effort from the younger girls. I thought the real purpose for me in this game was to keep demonstrating the improvements (we have made), and I think we did that,” he added.

  
  
  The tactician singled out 23-year-old goalkeeper Simone Eligon for some praise, as she was impressive throughout the campaign, and was even named to the Concacaf League A Best XI for the October window.

  "Simone has been magnificent. She has come up big for us in each of the (three) games she has played. She was a little nervous in her first game against Puerto Rico but that is understandable. International football is a completely different kettle of fish. Our understanding of the tactical requirements of the game — offensively and defensively — was good,” Hood noted.

  Still, Hood pointed out that there is much more work to do if the Women Warriors are to be more competitive in the future, which is why he stressed the need for continued development of the programme.
  
  "We were not great offensively, but it is a work in progress. It is something we have to keep continuously working on with the girls. It is important for us to maintain continuity where the local girls are concerned and we have to monitor those who are abroad as well,” Hood reasoned.
  
  "Minister Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis indicated the ministry is very much willing to back the women's programme to the same level of monetary (contributions) from Concacaf. She asked us to make proposals and we are going to do that. It is critical for the women's programme. We must never get back to the level where we met the programme when we started in July this year,” he noted.

   

• Copa America ideal for CONCACAF teams ahead of 2026 World Cup

  CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani believes next year's Copa America will serve as perfect preparation for the 2026 World Cup.

  Joining the 10 South American teams in the 2024 Copa America, which will be held in the United States, will be six teams from CONCACAF.

  The USA, Mexico, Jamaica and Panama are already assured of their places in the tournament, with Costa Rica or Honduras and Canada or Trinidad and Tobago to take the remaining two spots.

  With the expanded, 48-team World Cup in 2026 also taking place in North America, CONCACAF president Montagliani hopes the Copa America presents the perfect opportunity for the federation's teams to prepare.

  "It's evidence of when leadership and two very important confederations come together and put football first. The game is going to win here because you're going to have a great tournament next year," Montagliani told Concacaf.com.

  "I think we realised early on that we needed to make sure that we made our own competitions better, like our Nations League, our Gold Cup.

  "This was an opportunity, after speaking with my counterpart, Alejandro Dominguez, to come together and partner with them, not just on the men's side like we have now with Copa America, but also on the women's side with a Women's Gold Cup.

  "This fits in well with our strategy to increase not only the quantity of competitions, but also the quality of competitions, and this will help our teams prepare for the World Cup in our backyard.

  "FIFA is also going to have the Club World Cup here in 2025 and I think from a fan's perspective, I'm not sure we've ever had this, so it's a great time to be involved in the game, at whatever level you are.

  "I think it's a bit of a coming out party for our region. Obviously, we've struggled in the past at many levels, but I think, as I said a long time ago, for the work we've done in the last six years, we deserve the right to think long-term.

  "We also now deserve the right to enjoy the present and all the football that is coming our way."

  Reigning Copa and world champions Argentina were placed in Group A in Thursday's draw, alongside Peru, Chile and Canada or Trinidad and Tobago. The USA will face Uruguay, Panama and Bolivia in Group C, while Brazil will go up against Colombia, Paraguay and Costa Rica or Honduras in Group D.

  Two CONCACAF teams should also fancy their chances of progressing from Group B, with Mexico and Jamaica – who count the likes of Leon Bailey, Michail Antonio and Demarai Gray in their squad – going up against Venezuela and Ecuador.

  The draw opened up as such that another Argentina-Brazil final could be on the cards.

• Jamaica's Reggae Boyz set for Copa America challenge in Group B alongside Mexico, Ecuador, and Venezuela

  In an intriguing draw held on Thursday night, Jamaica's national football team, the Reggae Boyz, discovered their fate in the upcoming 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America. Placed in Group B, they are poised to face formidable opponents such as Mexico, Ecuador, and Venezuela in the tournament set to begin in June 2024.

  This marks Jamaica's third venture into the prestigious Copa America, following their spirited appearances in 2015 and 2016. In the Group Stage of 2015, the Reggae Boyz shared the field with Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, while in 2016, they navigated a challenging path against Venezuela, Mexico, and Uruguay.

  Expressing his contentment with the draw, head coach Heimir Halgrimsson acknowledged the tough opponents but remained optimistic about his team's chances. "It is a fairly good draw. All teams are higher than us on the FIFA ranking, but still, it’s teams that we have a good chance of winning, so I am not so unhappy with the draw," stated the coach. He emphasized the difficulty of the upcoming matches while also highlighting the challenge posed by the match venues, situated in Las Vegas, Houston, and Boston, where the summer heat may prove disadvantageous for training.

  Jamaica will open their campaign against Mexico on June 22, Ecuador on June 26 before completing their Group Stage matches against Venezuela on June 30.

  In other group pairings, the United States finds itself in Group C alongside Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia. Group D is set to witness a showdown between Costa Rica or Honduras against heavyweights Brazil, Colombia, and Paraguay. Group A promises a tough challenge for Trinidad and Tobago or Canada, who will face off against World Cup champions Argentina, Peru, and Chile.