Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz suffered a setback in the bid to qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup following a 5-0 loss to world champions the United States, in the Concacaf W Championship on Thursday.
The loss was the first for the team in group A, after opening its campaign with a 1-0 over hosts Mexico. It did not take an industriously starting United States long to get on the score sheet as they broke the deadlock in the 5th minute courtesy of the boot of Sophia Smith.
The player doubled the lead just three minutes after with a lob over the head of Jamaica goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer, which looked to have been cleared off the line, but was judged to have crossed it.
A dominant performance for the Stars and Stripes continued in the second half when Rose Lavelle fired wide of Spencer after a 14-minute spell of resistance for the Jamaicans. With the game winding down substitute Paige Bailey-Gayle brought down Margaret Purce and Kristie Mewis scored the resulting penalty in the 84th minute. Substitute Trinity Rodman completed the rout with a goal two minutes later. The win saw the United States stay at the top of the group with 6 points, while Jamaica were second with 3 but with Haiti and Mexico yet to play in the later game.
Edwin Allen High School speed twins – Tina and Tia Clayton – will go pro and join the MVP Track Club, according to a report published in the Jamaica Observer.
The twins, who turn 18 on August 17, have been standout high school athletes for the past few years with Tina developing more quickly than her sister Tia over the past couple of seasons.
Both were members of Jamaica’s 4x100m team that set a world record 42.94s at the World U20 Champions in Nairobi, Kenya last year. Both were also members of the team that ran 42.58, a world record at the 2022 Carifta Games held at the National Stadium in Kingston in April. However, that time was not ratified by World Athletics when Jamaican authorities failed to test Tia, who had won the 100m title the night before.
At the National Championships at the end of June, Tina, the World U20 100m, set a new national U20 record of 10.96, breaking the previous record of 10.97 set by Tokyo Olympic gold relay medallist Briana Williams.
Tia, the Carifta Games silver medallist, who was third at the national championships boasts a personal best of 11.25.
Sources indicate that on the basis of the incredible performance by Tina at the national championships several potential sponsors were chasing their signatures but according to a report in the Jamaica Observer, one of those companies managed to move ahead of the rest and seal a deal that will see the girls ending their respective impressive high school careers.
At MVP, Tina and Tia Clayton will most likely be under the guidance of Stephen Francis, who has enjoyed tremendous success over the past decade with two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah, the only woman to win the 100/200m double at consecutive Olympic Games.
Jamaica Reggae Girlz head coach, Lorne Donaldson, is hoping for sharper finishing in front of goal against the United States but expects that to continue improving as the team gets more games under its belt.
The Jamaicans kicked off the Concacaf W Championship in impressive fashion with a 1-0 win over hosts Mexico on Monday. The team, however, in all likelihood could and should have won by a bigger margin having created several clear-cut opportunities throughout the match.
Most notably, Khadijah Shaw scored the all-important goal but also hit the upright in the second half, while attempting to chip Mexican goalkeeper Emily Alvarado. Forward Jody Brown was also guilty of a bit of profligacy, after being played through clean on goal on three occasions but picking out the keeper with all three attempts.
With the Reggae Girlz scheduled to tackle the world's number one ranked the United States on Thursday, such opportunities are likely to be few and far between. Donaldson was quick to point out, however, that attacking coordination and finishing in front of the goal takes time to develop and time is a luxury that the team did not have in its preparation for the tournament.
“The sharpness up front takes time (to develop) and we had no games coming in. Two weeks of preparation was all we had to get the group together. Some of the team came in a little unfit so we tried to spend some time getting the fitness up,” Donaldson said.
“So, for that sharpness, hopefully, our instincts will kick in, because the hardest part of the game is to get your finishing touch and we saw that. So hopefully, we will have a bit more luck and do a better job in that department.”
The top two teams from each group will advance to the next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday announced the match schedule for the West Indies Men’s “A” Team series against Bangladesh Men’s “A” Team in August.
The series will be played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia and will feature two four-day first-class matches and three 50-over matches from 4 to 20 August.
This will be the first West Indies Men’s “A” Team series since 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic restricted opportunities and the resumption of West Indies Men’s “A” team matches sees the return of a key development opportunity for players pushing for selection to the West Indies senior team and for emerging players to build their First-Class International experience.
Roland Holder, CWI’s Senior Operations Manager said the series will provide exposure for a number of players and noted it was part of CWI’s commitment to continually developing talent for the international level.
“We are pleased to have confirmed the itinerary for the Men’s ‘A’ Team series with the BCB and we are excited to host Bangladesh in the region again,” Holder said.
“This is a vital part of the development of our players in the pathway toward full international selection, and no doubt this upcoming series of matches in Saint Lucia will provide a platform for further exposure and progress.”
He added that CWI and BCB are also in the planning stages for a reciprocal tour by West Indies “A” to Bangladesh in 2023.
BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said the “A” Series provides an excellent opportunity for players of both teams to prepare for international commitments.
“The international schedule is getting busier by the season and therefore it is very important for the cricketers to keep themselves ready through good competitive cricket. We thank CWI for accommodating the A tour. The four-day ‘Tests’ and the One-Day matches will be an invaluable experience for the players,” he noted.
“The BCB and CWI share a warm longstanding relationship and have worked tirelessly to make this tour happen. I hope we will see more reciprocal programmes between the two boards in the future.”
Match schedule:
Daren Sammy Cricket Ground
4-7: August: 1st Four-day “Test” – local start time 10 am (9 am Jamaica)
10-13 August: 2nd Four-Day “Test” – local start time 10 am (9 am Jamaica)
16 August: 1st 50-over match – local start time 9:30 am (8:30 am Jamaica)
18 August: 2nd 50-over match – local start time 9:30 am (8:30 am Jamaica)
20 August: 3rd 50-over match – local start time 9:30 am (8:30 am)
Professional Football Jamaica promises a booming start to the 2022-23 Jamaica Premier League season as powerhouse rivals Waterhouse and Arnett Gardens are set to clas in the "BOOM El Clasico".
The "BOOM El Clasico" will see the JPL giants square off over two legs of football slated for October 10 and 17 at Waterhouse Stadium and Tony Spaulding Sports Complex, respectively.
Each club will be allowed to field celebrities as a nod to their communities that have produced some musical giants over decades. Arnett Gardens and Waterhouse's long-standing rivalry attracts the largest spectator following in local football.
Title sponsors BOOM Energy Drink have sweetened the pot with a winner-takes-all prize payout of $JMD1M.
Brand Manager Keteisha McHugh looks forward to welcoming fans,
"BOOM has taken the market by storm, becoming the number-one energy drink in Jamaica. We are the life of any party, so we look forward to bringing our usual high energy to match the excitement of Waterhouse and Arnett Gardens in October. Come October 17, we will find out who's ‘Badda dan’ so come mek we BOOM it up!" said BOOM Brand Manager Keteisha McHugh.
In reacting to the announcement PFJL Chairman Chris Williams said the partnership reflects the significant growth of Jamaica’s football.
“Football is booming in Jamaica,” he said.
“BOOM has joined with the PFJL in continuing the tremendous growth of professional football in Jamaica. BOOM will be answering the question we all have. Who is better; Arnett or Waterhouse? We expect a massive turnout, great football and loads of excitement from this intense rivalry.”
The Jamaica Premier League 2021-22 season culminated last Sunday with newly-crowned champions Harbour View getting the better of Dunbeholden 6-5 on penalties to secure their fifth premier league title.
The Jamaica Tallawahs have announced their overseas signings for the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) which gets underway on 31 August.
Left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir will be joining the Tallawahs for the first time having represented the Barbados Royals last season, claiming 11 wickets at an average of 13.54.
The other four overseas players have all had experience with the Tallawahs in the past. Nepalese leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane was with the franchise in 2020 where he took 12 wickets and went at an economy rate of just 5.27 runs an over.
Imad Wasim, Chris Green and Miguel Pretorius were all with the Tallawahs in 2021 and will return this season as overseas signings. Brandon King and Fabian Allen have also been signed by the two-time champions.
Power hitter Rovman Powell has been retained by the franchise along with Kennar Lewis and Shamarh Brooks.
The Tallawahs will have seven more spots to fill at the Hero CPL draft with details of these picks released during the draft show which will be broadcast this Thursday – 7 July – at 9am Eastern Caribbean Time.
Jamaica Reggae Girlz goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer expressed satisfaction with the strength of the team’s overall performance in an opening day win over hosts Mexico in the Concacaf Women's Championship.
Mainstay forward Khadijah Shaw got the all-important goal in the 8th minute, but Spencer made an equally telling impact between the sticks for the team. The goalkeeper proved to be an assured presence in controlling the area and also proved highly effective with her distribution ability.
In addition, the custodian’s acrobatic save from Mexico’s Carolina Jaramillo not only kept the Jamaicans in front but might be one of the best of the tournament so far.
“It was all about the team yesterday. I think from front to back and obviously, the subs also came on and made a big impact in the game. So, yesterday was a real team performance,” Spencer said.
“I thought the game was good it was a really good team performance. Scoring early on and to have the lead so long was certainly a big one for us,” she added.
The appearance was Spencer’s fifth for the national team. The Jamaicans will next be in action against the United States on Thursday.
Reggae Girlz coach Lorne Donaldson has commended the team’s work ethic and fighting spirit in an important 1-0 over hosts Mexico to kickstart the Concacaf Women’s Championships on Monday.
The team’s talismanic strike Khadija Shaw got the decisive goal in the 8th minute and secured all three points, which could yet prove telling in the competition’s group of death.
With the top-seeded United States and Haiti still to come, in the competitive group A, maximum points was a welcome start for the Jamaica team who have not had the smoothest build-up to the tournament.
“We came into this game without even playing a practice game, but we went to Colorado and we trained a bit,” Donaldson said.
“I’m very proud of the girls, proud of the way we fought all night and I think the training we did in preparation helped. I’m very proud of the girls, I give them all the credit, I just stand on the sideline and point my fingers and they do all the work.”
The Jamaicans will next be in action on Thursday when they tackle the world’s top-ranked women’s team The United States.
The second match of Day 1 in Group A action at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship in Monterrey, played on Monday at the Estadio Universitario, saw Jamaica down host nation Mexico 1-0.
Jamaica got their goal early from Khadija Shaw in the 8’ via a free kick by Deneisha Blackwood, with the ball finding Shaw and the forward scoring with a header to open the Jamaican goal count in the CWC. With this goal, Shaw ties Jody Brown for most CWC goals by a Jamaican player with four.
Mexico looked to respond and in the 15’ Diana Ordonez almost equalized the game with a header but was denied by the goalpost.
Jamaica GK Rebecca Spencer came up with a big save in the 28’ by denying Carolina Jaramillo a goal after she tried a long-distance shot, resulting in a corner kick that the Mexican side didn’t take advantage of.
In the 35’, after a VAR review, the referee ruled in favor of a penalty for Jamaica after Mexico’s Casandra Montero committed a handball in the area. Havana Solaun was the one who took the ball, missing the chance of extending the Jamaica advantage by sending it over the crossbar.
They were more chances starting in the second half, as Shaw tried to surprise the Mexican front again, but was denied the 2-0 lead by the goalpost. Ordonez, in the 54’, had the equalizer again, but barely missed a header that would have been an assist by Bianca Sierra.
Mexico kept pushing as Joseline Montoya, subbed on in the 80’, put a ball in the area but the Jamaican defense were there, ready to cover it.
With this result, Jamaica earned their first win over Mexico in a CWC match, making their overall record 1W-0D-3L.
The next opportunity for Mexico will be against Haiti, while Jamaica's next challenge will be against the United States.
Reggae Girlz head coach Lorne Donaldson says his team is ready to go ahead of their Concacaf Women’s Championship final round opener against Mexico on Monday.
Jamaica and Mexico are in Group A of the final round along with Haiti and the United States while Group B contains Canada, Costa Rica, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago.
The four semi-finalists after the group stage will advance to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
“I think, if we have everybody healthy and ready to go, we will give a good account of ourselves. The girls will come out and be ready to play. The first few minutes may be a little rusty because they haven’t played a game in a while but, when the game settles down, I think we can put some good stuff together,” Donaldson said in a pre-match interview on Sunday.
The match will be played at the University Stadium in Nueva Leon, home of the Liga MX club Tigres UANL, with kick-off scheduled for 9:00pm Jamaica time (10:00pm EST).
The Jamaicans, who spent the last two weeks in training camp in Denver, Colorado, know what to expect in enemy territory according to their head coach.
“Obviously, we play Mexico who’s the home team. They’ll have a lot of fans in the stadium and we know what to expect. Hopefully the preparation we’ve had can nullify some of their strengths,” said Donaldson.
“It’s going to be a difficult game but hopefully we can grind and battle through it so the result can fall in our favor,” he added.
Both teams come into this game on the back of some good form as the Reggae Girlz have scored 24 goals and conceded just two in their last four games while Mexico have scored 25 and conceded just one.
Jamaica’s U-23 Sunshine Girls secured Netball gold at the inaugural Caribbean Games at the Laurel Flessel Complex in Guadeloupe on Saturday.
The Jamaicans capped off an unbeaten campaign with a 55-21 victory over Trinidad & Tobago in the gold medal game.
St. Lucia took home the bronze medal with an 88-4 demolition of hosts Guadeloupe.
Several members of Jamaica’s history-making team to the 34th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship in Puerto Rico returned to the island with their trophies on Friday night.
Andrenette Knight, Rasheed Dwyer and Chanice Porter were among the winners at the American Track League meeting in Marietta, Georgia on Saturday. There were also podium places for quarter-milers Rusheen McDonald, Demish Gaye as well as shot putter O’Dayne Richards.
Jhaniele Fowler scored 58 goals on Sunday to lead the West Coast Fever to the 2022 Suncorp Super Netball title following a keenly contested 70-59 victory over the Melbourne Vixens at the RAC Arena.
It was the Fever’s first league title in 25 years after losing in the finals in 2018 and 2020.
Fowler, who was recently appointed captain of Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls, missed one shot and got support from finals MVP Sasha Glasgow, who shot a perfect four for four from the field but who also hit four of her nine super shots. She also had 26 goal assists.
The Fever never trailed at the intervals having led 18-14 at the end of the first quarter and took a six-point lead (35-29) into half-time.
By the end of the third quarter, the Fever extended the lead to nine points after winning the interval 19-16 before closing out the championship outscoring their opponents 16-14 in the final stanza.
Mwai Kemwenda was outstanding for the Vixens scoring 28 of her 29 attempts while Keira Austin missed only two of her 19 shots during the contest.
The victory, which gave Fowler her first hold on the Super League title, capped another outstanding season for the four-time Fever MVP. Heading into the final, Fowler led the league in scoring – 804 goals, goal attempts (833), offensive rebounds (46) and Nissan Net Points (1438).
Jamaica’s Under-23 Sunshine Girls secured a 64-34 victory over Barbados to move to 4-0 at the Caribbean Games at the Laura Flessel Complex in Guadeloupe on Saturday.
Jamaica, who scored a massive 65-18 win over St. Vincent & the Grenadines on Friday, will play Trinidad & Tobago in their final game on Sunday.
T&T hammered Guadeloupe 112-5 on Friday before losing a nail-biter 38-37 against St. Lucia on Saturday.
St. Lucia, after suffering a 44-36 defeat at the hands of Barbados on Friday, were dominant on Saturday with a 20-0 win over Guadeloupe.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
