Reggae Girl Tiffany Cameron
contributed
Tiffany Cameron has overcome every hurdle that came to the fore while representing both club and country.
In fact, over the past two years, in particular, Cameron stressed the significance of maintaining her physical and mental toughness, especially through the most difficult periods and it is this approach that has resulted in her current success on both fronts.
Despite the challenges along the way, the Canadian-born player, continued to parade her skills with much gusto and recently lead her Hungarian top-flight club ETO FC Gyor to Cup triumph, with hopes of adding the League title to their accolades.
This, as she positions herself for a spot on Lorne Donaldson's 23-player squad to the July 20 to August 20 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Cameron has accounted for 18 goals and 11 assists for her club this season, 15 of those goals coming in the league, where Gyor is set to square off against her former club Ferencvárosi Torna (FTC) in a two-game playoff to determine the champions. The first game is scheduled for Monday.
"I find this funny because 15 is my jersey number for Jamaica and 11 is my jersey number for my club so I find those the 15 goals and 11 assists pretty poetic. But my goal coming into this season was to be a Hungarian Cup winner and also to score more goals than I did last year, so I am happy that I was able to achieve both in what has obviously been a very good season," Cameron said from her base in the Central European country.
"I also had making it to the finals again on my to-do list and making history with ETO by winning the league title, something the club hasn’t done as yet and I am hopeful that we can achieve it this year.
"I’m glad that I have consistently been a key player for ETO FC Gyor since my transfer two years ago, but the work is still not done, so it's just about sticking true to the process and that mental grind that has brought me this far, as the coach can always count on me for my work rate and ability to create goal scoring opportunities for myself and my teammates whenever I'm on the field," she added.
Having defied the odds, Cameron, urged other players who maybe be faced with similar situation to never lose faith in their ability even as they pushed through what might be a down season.
"This is my third consecutive year playing in the Hungarian Playoff League final. To play overseas and achieve feats like these reminds me of how powerful the mind can be. It’s not easy playing away from home, not able to experience the warm embrace of family members when you need it the most," she shared.
"It takes a different type of mindset to embrace the change and still continue to shine and make history. There are bumps in the road and of course it’s never smooth sailing but you have to push beyond the norm and continue to shine and bring out the unique qualities you have," Cameron reasoned.
While her goal output and physical traits makes her well suited as a forward, Cameron, whose timing and vision in the box are perhaps her most outstanding assets, has also demonstrated a free-spirited and versatile approach, as she readily takes on the role as a right full-back when asked to do so for both club and country.
Interestingly, that is the role she played in Gyor's most recent win, in which she had a goal and an assist.
For Cameron, 31, that performance was somewhat of a dress rehearsal for the senior Reggae Girlz upcoming assignments, as she wants to replicate her form in Jamaica's senior Reggae Girlz setup.
"I had a great performance in that game as a wingback basically preparing myself for the summer," Cameron said in reference to the World Cup.
Donaldson, who is expected to name his final squad ahead of a two-game sendoff series on home soil next month, has shown a liking to Cameron's application in the defensive position at the Cup of Nations tournament against Australia and Czech Republic, and more recently against Sheffield United.
"I don't know what the future holds, but my game fitness is up to par and I've proven that I'm capable of being an offensive threat and also my defensive prowess, so it will be really interesting to see how everything pans out," the jovial player noted.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain: Fullkrug hands hosts first-leg win
Niclas Fullkrug fired home a first-half winner as Borussia Dortmund claimed a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie in Germany.
Nico Schlotterbeck floated a pass into Fullkrug's path and the Germany international brought the ball under his spell with a wonderful touch before drilling a low shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 36th minute.
PSG, on the back foot for much of the first half, improved after the break and struck the woodwork twice in a matter of moments just after the restart.
Kylian Mbappe curled an effort against the right-hand post before Achraf Hakimi scuffed a shot against the other upright on the rebound as Edin Terzic's side escaped with a first-leg lead.
The teams will meet again at the Parc des Princes next Tuesday, with the winners of the tie facing either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid – who drew 2-2 in their first leg on Tuesday – in the final at Wembley Stadium.
Liverpool 4-3 Chelsea: Blues' title hopes suffer huge hit as Bonner decides seven-goal thriller
Chelsea's hopes of a fifth straight Women's Super League title are hanging by a thread after a dramatic 4-3 defeat to Liverpool, with Gemma Bonner scoring a stoppage-time winner for the Reds.
Arriving at Prenton Park six points behind leaders Manchester City with two games in hand, Chelsea had no margin for error but finished on the wrong end of a remarkable contest.
The Blues started brightly and went ahead through Agnes Beever-Jones' header, with Catarina Macario being denied a second by a marginal offside call. However, Liverpool hit back early in the second half as Sophie Haug looped a header in from Marie-Therese Hobinger's corner.
Matt Beard's Reds went ahead for the first time when another Hobinger corner was flicked in by Bonner at the near post, though Chelsea made it 2-2 with 10 minutes to play as Beever-Jones rifled into an empty net after Niamh Charles drew Teagan Micah off her line.
Emma Hayes would have been expecting them to kick on from there, but Liverpool were back ahead within 59 seconds as Leanne Kiernan latched onto Ceri Holland's pass to slot home.
Chelsea drew level for a second time when Macario's shot deflected in off Micah, but they were caught with a sucker punch as they chased a winner, Bonner glancing yet another Hobinger corner home to leave Hayes needing a miracle to deliver a farewell title.
Data Debrief: Hayes' hopes fading
Future United States boss Hayes was furious with the officials after Chelsea exited the Women's Champions League against Barcelona on Saturday, but a fast start to Wednesday's game would have given her hope of a response.
However, Chelsea let a chaotic game get away from them after the break, losing a league match in which they led at half-time for the first time since September 2022 – a 2-1 loss at Liverpool.
Having been eyeing a quadruple just a few weeks ago, Chelsea now need an incredible collapse from City if they are to retain their title – given the Citizens' superior goal difference, just one more win may get them over the line.
'It's here to stay' – Postecoglou jokes he's moving to Sweden to escape VAR
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has joked he may move to Sweden in order to escape VAR, claiming it has changed English football for the worse.
Plans to introduce VAR to the Swedish Allsvenskan – the country's top tier – have been dropped amid fierce opposition from clubs and supporters.
The use of VAR in the Premier League has been a major talking point throughout the season, with a number of high-profile controversies undermining fan support for the technology.
Last week, Mauricio Pochettino said VAR had "damaged" the image of English football after Axel Disasi had a potential stoppage-time winner chalked off during Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
Ahead of Thursday's meeting with Pochettino's Blues, Postecoglou was asked whether English clubs might follow the lead of their Swedish counterparts.
"I'm moving there. I don't have a job, I'm just moving there," Postecoglou joked, before adding: "Yeah, it's here to stay, absolutely. It's not going away.
"I'd change a hell of a lot on it, but I've said that before. I think it's changed the game materially, which I don't think was the intention when it was brought in."
Postecoglou also seemed to suggest the application of VAR in England has been more troublesome than elsewhere, saying it had worked "seamlessly" in Tuesday's Champions League semi-final draw between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
"I watched the Champions League last night like everyone else, and if you hadn't told me VAR was part of the game I wouldn't have known," Postecoglou added.
"I'm sure they had decisions to make but it seemed to work pretty seamlessly.
"Like I said, we're trying to pick the bones out of every little thing that happens in a football game at the moment – whether that's the referee or any other part.
"I don't like it, it changes the game, it changes the game experience whether you're involved or not as an active spectator. Hopefully they'll find the right sort of ground for it to work."
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