Confidence booster for Matthews

National senior women’s football team forward Cheyna Matthews says her four goals in the team’s 12-1 win over Cuba in their opening Concacaf first round Group B Olympic qualifiers have boosted her confidence. The 25-year-old player expects the team to get even stronger when top player Khadija Shaw takes the field for their second game against Barbados tomorrow.

The goals were the first for Matthews for Jamaica. She was first called to the Reggae Girlz squad for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France last summer, and she says that having games like she did on Monday can have a lasting effect on a player’s confidence. She hopes the confidence she has gained after scoring her first goal and first hat-trick will stay with her through the qualifiers.

“It’s always nice to put some (chances) away and to get a hattrick. Any player loves that feeling,” Matthews told reporters. “It helps build confidence so when the games get a bit tougher and the qualifying gets a little bit more difficult, you have it in the back of your mind that you are confident to put it in the back of the net.”

Matthews also expects Shaw, who watched from the sidelines on Monday, to be eager to get out and show her ability to local fans.

“I am excited for her (Shaw) to get out there and have some fun too,” Matthews said. “After seeing so many goals, I am sure, like any forward, she will be itching to get in and make some magic, too, so I am excited for her to get out here with us.”

Credit to teammates

Matthews credits her teammates for their role in her goals on Monday.

“It was a really good team performance, but I have great teammates around me,” she said. “They put me in great positions, so it made it really easy for me. I feel like this is the first time we have this particular group of players together and for us to come out and only concede one goal and put away that many is a really positive start to the qualifiers.”

Assistant coach Lorne Donaldson says Matthews is the type of player that every coach likes to have and he expects another high-quality game from the striker on Friday.

“Cheyna is a very good player. She plays at a very high level,” he said. “She plays for the Washington Spirit and is a willing runner. There is not a ball she does not like to chase, and that’s what we like about her. She will go for everything. She is a pro and a good athlete, and when she gets in front of the goal she knows what to do with the ball.”

Jamaica face Barbados in their second game of the qualifiers tomorrow at the National Stadium at 6:30 p.m. In the opening game at 4 p.m., the US Virgin Islands take on Cuba.