Despite failing to secure a spot in neither the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup group stage nor preliminary round, Jamaica's Reggae Girlz made somewhat of a mark in the final window of League A of the qualifying campaign, as Malikae Dayes and Davia Richards etched their names in the Best XI squad from the just-concluded window.
The two were just a few of the standout players for interim Head coach Xavier Gilbert in the failed campaign where they lost 1-2 and then drew 1-1 with Panama, and also registered 2-2 and 1-1 stalemates against Guatemala.
Dayes, 24, vein of form will boost her prospects at Danish club AaB Fodbold, while 19-year-old Richards will continue to hone her craft at Hill College, where she netted 23 goals, complemented by 12 assists, in the season. It is interesting to note that Richards placed her versatility on display by filling the left full-back position at times.
Here are the 11 players that stood out the most at their respective positions on the road to the inaugural Women's Gold Cup.
Goalkeeper
Alexia Estrada, Guatemala
Guatemala advanced to the Gold Cup Prelims with Estrada making five saves and four clearances in the 1-1 draw with Jamaica.
Defenders
Maria Elizondo, Costa Rica
Elizondo went the distance in both Costa Rica matches, making four clearances and helped keep a clean sheet against Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Davia Richards, Jamaica
Richards was tireless for the Reggae Girlz with a goal from four shots, while making a clearance in the back.
Araceli Torres, Mexico
Torres was very solid for Mexico in making a clearance in 95 minutes of action, helping her side qualify for the Women's Gold Cup group stage.
Cristina Ferral, Mexico
Ferral’s sensational strike earned Mexico a 1-0 win at Trinidad and Tobago, giving El Tricolor a perfect RTWGC campaign.
Midfielders
Gloriana Villalobos, Costa Rica
Villalobos had a goal in each game for Costa Rica, totaling six shots. Her biggest contribution was her playmaking, as she chipped in with four assists.
Alexa Herrera, Costa Rica
Herrera scored a goal that will forever live in Costa Rican football lore, as she found the back of the net on the last kick of the game versus Haiti in the 2-1 win. She finished the window with three goals.
Malikae Dayes, Jamaica
Dayes was a workhorse in midfield for Jamaica in their two matches and had six clearances in the 1-1 draws with Panama and Guatemala.
Forwards
Maria Paula Salas, Costa Rica
Salas set a Costa Rican Women’s National Team record with a seven-goal performance in the 19-0 victory over St Kitts and Nevis.
Kiana Palacios, Mexico
Palacios came off the bench and scored two goals to help Mexico secure a 3-0 win at Puerto Rico, qualifying her side for the Gold Cup group stage.
Melissa Herrera, Costa Rica
No player created more scoring chances than Herrera, whose five assists led all players in all leagues during the window. She also had a goal.
Jamaica's senior Reggae Girlz remain in a tough position to make next year’s Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup, despite coming from behind to secure a 1-1 stalemate with Panama in their penultimate qualifying fixture at the National Stadium on Wednesday.
Marta Cox gave Panama a 31st-minute lead from the penalty spot, but that was cancelled out by Shaneil Buckley's 45th minute strike, which ensured the Jamaicans a share of the spoils.
With the point, Panama inched up to seven points and booked their spot in the inaugural women's Gold Cup, while the Jamaicans, who were earning their second point, must beat second-placed Guatemala (four points) on Sunday to get into the Gold Cup prelims.
Though disappointed that they didn't secure all three points on this occasion, interim Head coach Xavier Gilbert is backing his team to get by Guatemala on Sunday.
"It was a competitive game, unfortunately things didn't go entirely according to plan, of course we wanted to win, but we also wanted to ensure that we didn't lose tonight, that was our first objective. We are still in with a shot with just have to get the job done against Guatemala, in terms of speed and depth, we have a better unit and so I fancy our chances more against Guatemala," Gilbert said in a post-match interview.
The contest started at a decent tempo with the Jamaicans using their pace and athleticism to exploit the wide channels, as they were more threatening in open play, but were unable to make the most of their half chances.
In the ninth Melissa Johnson broke down the right channel and should have at least tested Yenith Bailey in goal for Panama, but the build-up was undone by indecision.
Nine minutes later, Buckely broke down the right and played a pass inside, and Davia Richards couldn't connect at close range.
Panama patiently played their game and went close in the 28th minute when Cox played a through pass in for Natalia Mills, but Serena Mensah, in goal for Jamaica, left her line well to avert the danger.
However, the visitors were given the opportunity to break the deadlock when Lauren Reid seemingly got ball in a challenge on Mills, but Honduran referee Melissa Borjas Pastrana awarded the penalty, which Cox converted.
The Reggae Girlz probe for the equalizer came on the stroke of half-time when a weighted cross from the left by Malikae Dayes was well finished by Buckley from close range.
Gilbert's side again started purposeful and applied consistent pressure throughout but didn't really put anything meaningful on goal.
In fact, there best effort of the stanza came in the 68th when Njeri Butts cross inside was skipped by captain Chinyelu Asher for Marlo Sweatman, whose shot lacked the power to beat Bailey.
From there, but teams nullified each other, as their search for the winner proved fruitless.
"I don't think we did anything wrong; we just didn't score. We have to score goals to win games and we just didn't get on the scoresheet when we got our chances," Gilbert said, as he also fielded questions about the substitutions.
"We are in a different dynamic from the other teams. They are playing one game and they are finished, while we are playing two games in five days. I know what I am working with, we had to be smart in terms of our approach to each game, so we couldn't be erratic and make a number of substitutions here, I also understand the situation that we are in and we are just going to give it our all on Sunday," he declared.
Having managed to pull a full 23-member squad out of the hat, interim Reggae Girlz Head coach Xavier Gilbert is now cautiously optimistic about their chances of springing another surprise in the upcoming Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup qualifying fixtures against Panama and Guatemala.
Gilbert, who was appointed late Thursday, skipped his first hurdle by securing the services of a fairly youthful squad, which also includes some out-of-favour experienced players for the games scheduled for October 25 and 29 respectively.
However, the second hurdle remains the fact that Gilbert has a short window to try and achieve some semblance of cohesiveness with his new squad, as they are scheduled to arrive in Panama on Monday and will train on Tuesday, with the game scheduled for Wednesday. They will then return to Jamaica on Thursday to host Guatemala on Sunday.
“Yeah, it is tough, and I always knew it will be a difficult task but that’s the thing with these FIFA windows and how we manage ourselves will be important at the end of the day,” Gilbert told SportsMax.TV.
“The good thing for us is that we have individuals who understand and know what we have to focus on. So, it is good that we managed to find persons and it is also an opportunity for the younger players to showcase their talent and secure themselves a spot in future camps to come,” he added.
Gilbert’s squad includes a new call up in 32-year-old England-born Melissa Johnson of Charlton Athletic, while Canadian-born Israela Groves, 24, who is also up to earn her first international cap, was a part of the senior Reggae Girlz training camp in Florida earlier this year.
Meanwhile, 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup veterans Marlo Sweatman and Chinyelu Asher highlight the more senior players, along with goalkeeper Chris-Ann Chambers, Jayda Hylton-Pelaia, Alika Keene and twins, Malikae and Mikayla Dayes. The remainder of the team comprises mostly Under-20 representatives now transitioning to the senior level.
The coach’s predicament stems from the fact that all 22 members of the successful 2023 World Cup squad have made themselves unavailable, while Cheyna Matthews has retired.
Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) in a release on Friday, announced the suspension of selection for all 22 players until they meet with the federation's hierarchy to resolve all issues regarding payments among other things.
“It is what it is, I can’t control some of the variables, so I just have to control what I can. At this point in time, we managed to assemble a squad and we must give credit to the ladies who have accepted the offer to represent their country on short notice and we just want to build on that,” Gilbert, who is still without an assistant said.
“We have a lot of players who will be earning their first caps so again, it is an opportunity for them to show the world what they have to offer, and we just hope that they will make full use of it. It is going to be difficult against two tough oppositions, but we are hopeful that we can do what we have to, to ensure we get two positive results,” he noted.
Gilbert pointed to the fact that fitness will not be much of a concern with the selected players as his biggest positive as it will allow him to jump straight into technical and tactical work when they arrive in Panama.
“The good thing is that all the players are currently active with their clubs and colleges, that was of some concern, but these players are coming in with games under their belts which is a positive. So again, we just hope that we can get them together as soon as possible and manage to squeeze out some results,” he ended.
Following the opening fixtures, the 37th-ranked Reggae Girlz will then host Panama on November 29 and close away to Guatemala on December 3.
Squad- Chris-Ann Chambers (Dinamo Sokhumi); Javanae Jones (ultnomah University); Lauren Reid (University of Maryland); Malikae Dayes (AAB (Denmark); Zoe Vidaurre (George Mason University); Nevillegail Able (University of Maine at Fort Kent); Chinyelu Asher (SCU Torreense); Alika Keene (SK Slavia Praha Zeny); Israela Groves (London City Lionesses); Ricshya Walker (LaSalle University); Marlo Sweatman (Viktoria Haladas); Christina Salmon (William Carey University); Davia Richards (Hill College); Mikayla Dayes (Rodez AF (France); Shaneil Buckley (Frazsiers Whip); Natoya Atkinson (Seaward County); Destiny Powell (Frazsiers Whip); Melissa Johnson (Charlton Athletic Women FC); Sydnie Street (Seneca College); Jayda Hylton-Pelaia (Woodbridge Strikers); Alliyah Morgan (George Mason University); Shanhaine Nelson (Cavaliers); Tyiesha Nelson (Reinas Academy)
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