Young Reggae Girlz ready for physical Cuba – Chambers
Published:Sunday | May 1, 2022 | 12:11 AMDaniel Wheeler - Staff Reporter
With the confidence of going unbeaten during the group stage, national Under-17 head coach Dane Chambers says the young Reggae Girlz are ready for a physical battle in their round-of-16 Concacaf Under-17 Women’s Championship clash.
The young Reggae Girlz face Cuba today at 6:00 p.m at the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium, looking to move one step closer to their goal of qualifying for the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in October.
Jamaica are in the last 16 on the back of two wins and a draw against Canada in their final group game, with 11 goals scored from three games.
The takeaways from those results, Chambers says, are the improved focus and the ability to adapt to different situations.
“We, as the coaching staff, now have to get the girls together and improve their concentration level. Knowing that, whenever we are behind, we are going to fight and come again. When we lead, we protect that lead and, if we are going to kill off the game, we kill it off,” Chambers told The Sunday Gleaner.
“The takeaway from that game (against Canada) is that it showed the discipline of this team, the ability to work and work hard for 90 minutes.”
Against Cuba, who placed third in their group, Chambers anticipates a physical battle. According to the coach, his team is prepared and will not shy away from that physical battle.
“We practise that way back at home. Physicality is not our problem. I think everybody in the tournament said that we are the physical team, and we love being branded that, because it also showed against the Canadians. We went there pressing them. The Cuban team is going to come at us. They have some big players but we are up for it,” Chambers said.
BIGGEST TASK
The biggest task for the young Reggae Girlz, Chambers said, is to ensure clear communication along the backline and that they do not waste the chances they create.
“The concentration has gone up for us. It has improved from the first game. For tomorrow’s [today’s] game, we have to organise our defensive line some more in terms of how we shift, being more compact between the midfield and the defensive line, and take our chances when we get them,” Chambers said.
Should Jamaica get past Cuba, they will have to face defending tournament champions, the United States in the quarter-finals after they defeated Curacao 11-0 in their knockout-round game yesterday.
According to Chamberes, the team’s desire to improve is strong, with the constant message being to remain humble but hungry.
“If you are here for a championship, if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. If you want to get to the World Cup, that’s what it takes. They are up for it. The Girlz are upbeat. They are willing to work and work until the tournament is finished,” Chambers said.