Young Girlz aim for more dominance after goal feast
Published:Sunday | April 16, 2023 | 1:35 AMDaniel Wheeler - Staff Reporter
AFTER A commanding performance in the opening game of the Concacaf Under-20 Women’s Championship’s preliminary round, Jamaica’s young Reggae Girlz will hope to take one step closer to qualification when they take on Bermuda in the second Group E game this evening at 8 p.m. in Managua, Nicaragua.
The young Reggae Girlz are coming off a 6-0 win over Anguilla in their group opener on Friday night, despite reportedly arriving in the country at 2 a.m. on the day of the game and experiencing difficulties in getting to the team hotel.
The difficulties, however, did not affect their performance as they did the damage, thanks to goals from Davia Richards in the first minute, Dannique Wilson in the 15th minute, Destiny Powell (27th), Atkinson (29th), and Tiny Seaton (43rd).
STRONG PERFORMANCE
Sundai Amele would add another in the 76th minute to cap off a strong performance as well as take the early lead in their group with a better goal difference (+6) than Honduras (+4). Both teams ended Friday on three points, with Honduras defeating Jamaica’s opponents today, 5-1.
Despite the performance, Head Coach Hugh Bradford is not planning to take any opponent lightly and, with short turnaround times between matches, he is certain the team will be tested.
“In football, anything can happen. I do not know the other teams well, but I do know that the players here have been working hard to prepare themselves to be successful. It is just a matter of how we execute,” Bradford said in a Gleaner interview on April 12.
The withdrawal of French Guiana from their group has not changed the requirements for qualification to the Concacaf Championship, with only group winners set to advance. The Concacaf Under-20 Women’s Championship takes place next month in the Dominican Republic. Teams who have made it to that tournament will compete for a chance to qualify for next year’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup.
Jamaica has enjoyed success against Bermuda at the Under-20 level, winning their last three encounters. Those results include a 9-1 thrashing in the knockout stage of the 2020 Championship.