Young Reggae Girl on fire

Young Jamaican striker Jody Brown put on a superb scoring display as the young Reggae Girlz dismantled Bermuda 9-1 in their round of 16 game of the Under-20 Concacaf Women’s Championship at the Estadio Panamericano in the Dominican Republic yesterday.

Brown scored four times in the rout as Jamaica cruised to the quarter-finals on Wednesday, where they will face either El Salvador or hosts Dominican Republic, who play each other today. It was her fourth consecutive game appearing on the scoresheet and yesterday’s performance now puts her on eight goals for the tournament.

Jamaica opened the scoring in the 12th minute through Lacey Murray who took advantage of an error by Bermuda goalkeeper Zakhari Turner, who failed to hold on to the ball and allowed her to fire home her third of the tournament. Brown then doubled the lead a minute later when Marlee Fray put through Brown who slotted past Turner.

Bermuda showed some resistance in the 26th minute through Nia Christopher who finished past Jamaican goalkeeper Elia Dennis, to cut the deficit to one. But the two goal lead was restored four minutes from half-time through a strong header from Nevillegail Able that soared into the top corner.

GIRLZ RELENTLESS

The Girlz were relentless after the break with Chantelle Parker netting her second of the tournament in the 53rd minute. Brown added a fourth in the 61st and completed her hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 76th minute. Substitute Sydoney Clarke made an impact when she came on, added to Bermuda’s misery with a pair of goals in the 83rd and 88th minute before Brown capped off the emphatic victory with her fourth in stoppage time.

The Reggae Girlz are now two wins away from securing a place in this year’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica and Panama. Should they prevail in Wednesday’s quarter-final, they could face either the United States or Canada for one of the two spots available in the tournament which starts in August.