Reggae Girlz wall built on experience
Published:Sunday | August 6, 2023 | 12:09 AM
JAMAICA’S PATH to the round of 16 at the Women’s World Cup has been built on a defensive unit that has so far allowed nothing to pass.
For national defenders Chantelle Swaby and Tierney Wiltshire, the secret has been the four years of experience from the last World Cup as well as the maintenance of high standards for themselves.
The Reggae Girlz have not conceded a goal in more than four hours and 30 minutes at this World Cup, a far cry from their 2019 debut where they let in 12 goals, only scoring one.
They held France and Brazil to 0-0 draws, the latter sending them to the next phase of the tournament for the first time in the country’s history at Brazil’s expense.
Swaby, who is at the heart of that centre-back pairing along with her sister Allyson, says that the time the team has spent together since their first World Cup has been critical.
“I think in 2019 we came in with a lot of new players and I think, especially even for me, my first time with the team was in 2018. I think, since, we have been able to play together for the next three years. After that, we have been able to play games, and kind of rotate the same pool of players,” Swaby said.
“I think the level has also increased with the players that are now in the team. And I kind of think that based on the experience of being together since the previous World Cup that has definitely helped with our defence.”
It is a defence has the player-of-the-match awards up for grabs in the first round. Allyson won the award against Panama, Deneisha Blackwood against France and goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer in that history-making draw against Brazil.
Swaby also believes solidifying the coaching staff after a patchy period, where two coaches were changed in short order, also helped.
“We have gone through different coaches and that can kind of interrupt the flow of developing as a team. Once we were able to solidify our coaching staff, it helped us build off of what we had,” Swaby said.
Wilshire has also been one of the mainstays in the backline, with online football website goal.com naming her to the team of the group stage. She says accountability from the team has been key to setting the tone of their defence.
“I just feel like throughout this entire year, we have tried to exercise discipline and instil values and instil a standard and I feel as though we have not let that standard drop. We raised it,” Wiltshire said.
“We continue to raise the bar by pushing each other and working after practice, watching films together and watching the games together and seeing what we can do to be better.”
Having held two of the top teams in the world scoreless, Wiltshire believes that it gives them confidence to continue a magical run.
“I’m surprised because we played two of the top-ranked teams in the world. However, I am not surprised by our work ethic and our discipline just because we work each and every day at this. And I feel we have worked so hard that we deserve it,” Wiltshire said.
Jamaica are the only team left in the round of 16 that has not conceded after Switzerland exited the tournament, losing 5-1 to Spain in their knockout round game and Japan defeated Norway 3-1. The Reggae Girlz will meet Colombia on Tuesday for a spot in the last eight.