We have to match them – Donaldson

A DATE with last tournament’s hosts France, the fifth-best team in the world, as well as a rematch with South American giants Brazil, has left national senior women’s head coach Lorne Donaldson with the realisation that the team will have their work cut out for them in their second Women’s World Cup campaign next summer in Australia and New Zealand.

The Women’s World Cup draw took place yesterday in Auckland as the expanded 32-team field got their assignments for the group stage. Jamaica will face a tough road to the knockout round with France, Brazil and the Group C play-off winner in either Panama, Papa New Guinea, Chinese Taipei or Paraguay, who they face in their two-game international series next month.

With two of their opponents among the top 10 in the world, Donaldson said Jamaica will have the difficult task of imposing their own style of play while being cautious about the threat the oppositions pose.

“The draw itself is a draw with some exciting teams that play good football. We have to come out and try to match them,” Donaldson said.

What will be familar to Donaldson, at least in name, is a rematch against the Brazilians, the reigning Copa America champions, who they faced in their opening group game of the 2019 tournament in France, a game that they lost 3-0.

It was a matchup that Donaldson had predicted, although not publicly, and sees the strength that Brazil possess and the improvements made under head coach Pia Sundhage, who coached the United States to Olympic gold in 2012.

IMPORTANT GAME

Donalson said that Brazil’s selection makes the Paraguay friendlies even more crucial.

“It’s a totally different Brazil side. She is a very good coach so, obviously, we have our work cut out for us. It is a young, fast skilful Brazil team, so we have to be ready. I kept saying that we will face a South American team in the draw and I figured that it was going to be Brazil. But I didn’t want to say it out loud. Playing Paraguay give us a little bit of that kind of style. So it is an important practice game,” Donaldson assessed.

The Paraguay friendly could also give a glimpse to their future group opponents should Paraguay win the play-off group in February. Although there is a level of uncertainty, Donaldson said that will be up to him and the staff to devise the ideal plan to give the team a chance for success between now and July.

“So we have to look at what we have in front of us as a team and make the adjustment. But we have to stylistically play the way we want to play too. We have to impose some of the stuff we want to impose on the other team. We can’t just react to what they do. We have to make them react to what we do too,” Donaldson said.

“The February window becomes very important. We have to make sure that we do the right thing for the team. So that is the planning part of it and moving away from that, we have to make sure that the right players are in and the coaching staff is ready to work.”

National striker and captain Khadija Shaw was more focused on her team’s approach than the opponents she will be facing as she wanted her team to embrace the moment after her brace secured Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Tottenham in their FA Women’s Super League game yesterday.

“It’s a massive achievement for any country to be at the World Cup. We have been blessed enough to be there and are just embracing the moment,” Shaw said.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com

Group F

France

Brazil

Jamaica

Group C play-off winner (Panama, Paraguay, Papa New Guinea, Chinese Taipei)

Jamaica World Cup Schedule

Jamaica vs France: July 23 in Sydney. Australia

Jamaica vs Group C play-off winner: July 29 in Perth, Australia

Jamaica vs Brazil: August 2 in Melbourne, Australia