‘Reggae Girlz mentally ready for Cayman Islands’
Published:Saturday | April 9, 2022 | 12:08 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Reggae Girlz head coach Vin Blaine expects his team to be mental charged and more purposeful in their performance when they take on the Cayman Islands in their Group C Concacaf Women’s Championship qualifiers at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in Grand Cayman at 7 p.m. today.
Blaine believes the team got less than their expected returns in goals against Bermuda, who they defeated 4-0, and Grenada, who they beat 6-1.
He said, after the game against Grenada, the players were told what was expected of them and they have continued to emphasise the importance of staying focused for this game.
“We are mentally prepared and this morning we did some more mental preparation, and, from the look of things, the girls are ready on the mental side. It was just to get them focused,” he said yesterday.
Blaine anticipates that the Cayman Islands will play a defensive game but he is prepared for that as well.
WHAT TO EXPECT
“We do not know how Cayman will come out, if they will park the bus and make it difficult for us to score on them.
“They played open football with the other teams but they might think Jamaica have too much firepower and might play behind the ball and see if they can block us out.
“But we have worked on that and the girls have taken that in consideration. We have shown them what we expect from the Cayman Islands team and I see how best we can overcome,” he said.
Blaine added that it is critical that the team turns around the plus three goal difference advantage that the Dominica Republic have so the pressure is transferred to the current group leaders when the teams face off in their top-of-the-table winners take all clash at Sabina Park on Tuesday.
“The first thing is to win and, if we play well, the goals will come. We want to overtake their (Dominican Republic) goal difference so that, when they come here, they cannot play for a draw, they have to play for a win.
“So the girls are fully focused and much more together, and I think that is a part of the success process, which is critical,” he said.
Khadija Shaw, four goals, and Jody Brown, three goals, are the leading scorers for the team, and Blaine believes they are showing good form.
“Our days of training in Jamaica were very good. They look upbeat,” he said.
The Cayman Islands, based on current form, are not expected to be a big test for the Reggae Girlz. In two games, the Reggae Girlz have scored 10 and conceded just one goal. In three games, the Cayman Islands have scored just two goals while conceding 10.