Reggae Girlz cannot drop their guard – Edwards

FORMER NATIONAL women’s head coach Charles Edwards says the Reggae Girlz cannot afford to take any opponent for granted in the opening round of the World Cup qualifiers, despite having the best talent available to head coach Vin Blaine.

The team arrived on Monday as preparations continue for their Group C opener against Bermuda tomorrow at the National Stadium at 6 p.m. The 23 players assembled were described by Blaine as the best that he has had to work with in terms of talent.

While Edwards says that the group has enough to get through their group without much difficulty, even with the absence of a camp last November, he has warned that the Girlz cannot underestimate any opponent at this stage.

“What will be required is for the players to not step out on the field of play and think that the opposition is that weak and then play down to them and then we get caught in what you call an upset situation,” Edwards told The Gleaner.

“As long as the coach and technical staff can keep the players mentally up, fine- tuned and ready to go, I think we should be able to pass this stage and go into the next phase.”

Jamaica are grouped with Bermuda, Grenada, Cayman Islands and the Dominican Republic with only the group winner advancing to the eight-team final round which begins in Mexico in July. The Reggae Girlz will have to start their campaign without a few of the players who took them to the 2019 tournament in France, with Deneisha Blackwood, captain Konya Plummer and Havana Solaun among those who have not been called up for the February window.

Humble Lion head coach and former national women’s assistant Andrew Price says that it will be up to the core of that 2019 squad to step up to the plate in filling the leadership role that Plummer’s absence has created, with the expectation of winning all their four games.

“I think a lot of the players who went to the World Cup are going to have to show some leadership quality and guide the younger players,” Price said.

“And I think we have enough of those players who can assist in guiding the younger players and I believe that we should get some favourable results in this first part of the qualifiers. I don’t see any team in the group that should give us any problems and we should definitely top the group.”

Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw is an option to take on the captain’s armband according to Blaine, should she choose to accept it. However, Edwards says that even if that is not the case, her play on the field will provide leadership.

“We are hoping that between the both of them (Blaine and Shaw) they can dialogue and come to an agreement to be comfortable enough to take it and lead the team. But at the same time, she will lead in terms of on the field of play,” Edwards said.

Blaine had his first opportunity to work with his players yesterday in their first training session at Stadium East.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com