Supporting Shaw

National senior women’s head coach Hubert Busby Jr says that the omission of national striker Khadija Shaw from the final roster for the upcoming international window was about allowing the striker to recharge and reassess her club future after a demanding season.

The final 23-player roster for the friendlies against Nigeria and world champions the United States was released yesterday, with the majority of the squad comprised of players who were part of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign.

England-based players Rebecca Spencer, Drew Spence, as well as Shania Hayles, are among the first-time call-ups, as well as University of Maryland forward Mikayla Dayes.

RESET AND REFOCUS

Busby Jr said that it would have been difficult to get Shaw to make it in time for the start of the camp, which begins on Friday in Houston. Her final club game with French club Bordeaux is this Saturday against Guingamp, and with the demands of a long campaign as well as the transfer speculation surrounding her immediate future, Busby Jr said that it was better to have all those issues resolved first.

“It’s obviously important that she kind of gets a chance to reset and refocus before she heads into what’s next in her career at the moment. So I know she is working through some stuff with her advisers, and probably it’s best that she kind of focus on that right now,” Busby Jr told The Gleaner.

Shaw is currently the joint top scorer of the French Division One Feminine heading into the final day with 21 goals, and her two-year contract with Bordeaux will expire at the end of the month.

English club Manchester City are the reported favourites to land her signature.

Busby Jr is hoping that Shaw will be available to return for the international windows in September and October before the start of the World Cup qualifiers in November.

“She’s obviously an integral part of the group. She has been in contact with myself and the players. She is undoubtedly still the leader of this team and obviously, we are just supporting her in the next couple of weeks after coming off a very long season,” Busby Jr said.

Other notable omissions include Trudi Carter and Dominique Bond-Flasza.

Carter, according to Busby Jr, is finalising a contract to play overseas, while Bond-Flasza is just beginning her domestic campaign in Iceland.

“Trudi is still in the works of finalising a deal to go to Europe so we are supporting her to finalise that deal. Dom (Bond-Flasza) has just started her season in Iceland. Everything is done with the players’ best interest in mind and being able to support them, that in turn will be better able to support the national team because they are sorting out their professional futures,” Busby Jr said.

National team camp will run from June 4 to 7 with the local delegation departing tomorrow for Houston. The Reggae Girlz will play Nigeria on June 10 and then the United States on June 13, with both games to be played at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com

Players:

1. SYDNEY SCHNIEDER ** Washington Spirit FC USA

2. REBECCA SPENCER* Tottenham Hotspurs FC UK

3. CHANTELLE SWABY ** Glasgow Rangers SCOTLAND

4. KONYA PLUMMER ** Orlando Pride USA

5. ALLYSON SWABY ** AS Roma ITALY

6. DENEISHA BLACKWOOD ** Houston Dash USA

7. HAVANA SOLAUN ** Carolina Courage USA

8. CHINYELU ASHER ** Washington Spirit FC USA

9. OLUFOLASADE ADAMOLUKEN ** University of Southern California USA

10. DREW SPENCE* Chelsea FC UK

11. PEYTON MCNAMARA Ohio State University USA

12. SASHANA CAMPBELL ** Petah Tikva ISRAEL

13. TIERNNY WILTSHIRE Maccabi Emek Hefer ISRAEL

14. JODY BROWN ** Florida State University USA

15. SHANIA HAYLES* Aston Villa WFC UK

16. GABRIELLE GAYLE South Alabama USA

17. KAYLA McCoy ** Training with Glasgow Rangers SCOTLAND

18. VYAN SAMPSON Charlton FC UK

19. CHEYNA MATTHEWS ** Racing Louisville USA

20. YAZMEEN JAMIESON ** Unattached CANADA

21. TIFFANY CAMERON ** Ferencvaros HUNGARY

22. MIKAYLA DAYES * University Of Maryland USA

23. SATARA MURRAY* FC Austin Elite USA