Reggae Girlz Head Coach Xavier Gilbert.
A makeshift Senior Reggae Girlz squad will have it all to do when they take on Panama in a Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup Qualification fixture on Wednesday.
The players who were responsible for leading Jamaica to a historic Round of 16 appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup earlier this year are not part of the group in Panama after withdrawing from selection to protest what they describe as “constant mistreatment” from the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).
Things have been made even more difficult for the travelling squad after a late change in venue due to ongoing protests in Panama City.
New Head Coach of the team, Xavier Gilbert, said the protests have also led to some logistical issues for the Girlz, including a lack of training time.
“We’ve been here from Sunday. We were in another city where there was a protest so it affected us. I must give credit to CONCACAF and the local organizing committee for responding the way they did. They tried to get us out the same time we landed on Sunday which is three hours away from the airport so it was difficult. Then yesterday in the morning we couldn’t move because roads were blocked,” he said.
“The good thing is that it didn’t affect any of the players and for that I must commend the local organizing committee once again. Once they picked up the players. They moved them straight to this hotel here so that was good. They didn’t encounter any delays,” he added before noting the challenge of the late venue change and an inability to train.
“It is challenging because now the venue has changed, the training venue has changed and the game venue changed and we’re still uncertain on some logistics as it relates to time,” he said.
“We’re going to have to do something. It’s not ideal in terms of what we want to do and to have everybody who we want involved but a lot of the players, especially when we travel at youth level, we find ourselves in similar situations so some of them are used to this. We only have a one-hour session before our first game and that includes a warm-up so we just have to try and get in and get out. We’re going to have to do a lot of mental and tactical preparation as it relates to how we want to approach the game,” he added.
In an interview on Tuesday, Gilbert said that about 15 members of the squad had already arrived in Panama with a few more coming.
He added that the absence of 18-year-old Shaniel Buckley, who is currently with the Jamaica team at the Pan Am Games in Chile, will be a big loss for the Girlz.
“We have about 15 players here so far. We’re expecting another couple and then we’ll take it from there. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that we’ll have Shaneil Buckley. She’s at the Pan Am Games and she hasn’t left yet so that’s a huge blow for us,” Gilbert said.
With regular skipper Khadija Shaw among those unavailable, Gilbert says midfielder Chinyelu Asher will Captain the team on Wednesday.
“Chinyelu Asher based on her experience playing at the international level and playing at the World Cup. She’s the most experienced and capped player here and it’s fitting for her to be the leader,” Gilbert said.
The 30-year-old Asher has scored six goals in 29 caps for the Reggae Girlz since her debut in 2015.
World Cup Girlz back in the fold? Gilbert hints at return of experienced players for Brazil friendlies
For the first time in almost nine months, it seems as if Jamaica’s interim Reggae Girlz Head coach Xavier Gilbert will have members of the World Cup squad at his disposal, when they visit Brazil for a two-match friendly international series in June.
The Girlz, who first locked horns with Brazil, and lost 0-3, at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, went one better at last year’s global showpiece in Australia, as they not only held the South American giants to a goalless stalemate, but also ensured their elimination at the group stage.
By all indications, that performance, and by extension, the fact that the Girlz made an historic appearance in the knockout stages of the World Cup, earned them even more respect from the number 10-ranked Brazilians, who are currently in preparation for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
The games, scheduled for June 1 and 4, are expected to assist Brazil in their preparation, while the now 42nd-ranked Jamaicans will get a much-needed test to regain their appetite for international competition, having last sported the nationals colours against Canada last September.
Since that Olympic qualifying fixture in Canada, members of the World Cup squad withdrew their services from national representation, citing lack of payment and mistreatment from the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), among their reasons.
While it is yet to be confirmed how many, if any, of the World Cup players will make the trip, Gilbert gave the clearest indication yet that there might be a few, as he welcomed the games, after not utilizing the last FIFA window.
“It is always important to secure games during the international window. It not only assists in exposing players, but it also ensures the team is active, which helps our rankings, and also our quality of play. Because as you know, the more we play together, especially against quality opponents, the better the team becomes, and we also get to work on different things both offensively and defensively,” Gilbert told SportsMax.TV.
“The expectation is for us to give a good account of ourselves, it has been a while since these players have played together, but the good thing is that they are actively engaged in their respective leagues in Europe and United States. So, it is not like they were inactive, and obviously, it is not the first time they will be playing together.
“So, we just have to keep things as simple or as close to what we did prior to, and during the World Cup, to make sure we are competitive. It is going to be a little bit different, but it’s not far-fetched that we can get another positive result against Brazil,” he added.
Atletico Madrid 3-1 Athletic Bilbao: Hosts close in on top-four finish
Atletico Madrid beat newly crowned Copa del Rey winners Athletic Bilbao 3-1 at home in LaLiga on Saturday as Diego Simeone's side moved a step closer to a top-four finish.
Fourth-placed Atletico moved onto 64 points and have increased their advantage over Athletic, in fifth, to six points with five games to play.
Midfielder Rodrigo de Paul put Atletico in front in the 15th minute with a goal from outside the box. After controlling an attempted clearance from the visitors, his effort dipped just under the bar as his strike deflected off one of the Athletic defenders.
Athletic levelled just before half-time through Nico Williams after Antoine Griezmann lost the ball through a careless pass.
But Angel Correa restored the lead for Atletico in the 52nd minute and later came close to scoring again.
With 10 minutes to play, away goalkeeper Unai Simon inadvertently made it 3-1 with an own goal after Samuel Lino’s effort came back off the post, ending any Athletic hopes of a comeback.
Hull City 3-3 Ipswich Town: Tigers fight back three times to deny Tractor Boys
Ipswich Town missed the chance to move into an automatic promotion spot as play-off-chasing Hull City came from behind three times in a thrilling 3-3 Championship draw at The MKM Stadium.
Ipswich knew a victory would take them second after Leeds United were surprisingly beaten 4-0 by Queens Park Rangers on Friday, and they led on three separate occasions, George Hirst opening the scoring before Omari Hutchinson produced two brilliant strikes from the edge of the area.
However, buoyed by slip-ups from rivals Norwich City and West Brom earlier on Saturday, Hull dug deep to fight back on each occasion, Ozan Tufan and Liam Delap scoring their first two equalisers.
With Liam Rosenior's men 3-2 down with just four minutes to play, substitute Noah Ohio blasted his shot in off the crossbar to punish an error from Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky.
The result keeps Ipswich behind second-placed Leeds on goal difference, though the Tractor Boys have a game in hand to come at Coventry City on Tuesday.
Hull, meanwhile, are two points adrift of the top six, with Norwich's goal difference advantage meaning their top-six spot is all but assured. The Tigers will, however, leapfrog West Brom if they beat Plymouth Argyle on the final day and Albion lose to Preston North End.
Data Debrief: Hutchinson's best not enough
Hutchinson was a man who deserved to be on the winning side on Saturday, giving Ryan Allsop no chance with two near-identical left-footed strikes from the right corner of the penalty area.
His goals came from an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.6, and he led all players on the pitch for shots (eight) and passes in the final third (21), also laying on three chances for his team-mates.
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