Jamaica winger Trudi Carter (left) goes for a tackle against a Mexico defender during their international friendly match played in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday. (Photo: AFP)
‘NOT ALL BAD’
Reggae Girlz Assistant Coach Deon Burton finds positives in Mexico games
The Jamaica senior Reggae Girlz may not have achieved the desired results in their international friendly matches against Mexico, but Assistant Coach Deon Burton sees positives to take forward.
Mexico’s dominance was evident in both games against Jamaica, with the Mexican team controlling possession, tempo, and creativity on the pitch. The first game, played at the CPKC Stadium in Kansas City on Friday, saw Mexico winning 3-0 with goals from Alexia Delgado (23rd minute), Christina Burkenroad (32nd minute), and Rebeca Bernal (37th minute), all scored within the first half.
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The second game, held at the Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday, was no different, with Mexico’s Alice Soto (11th and 24 minutes), Lizbeth Ovalle (eighth minute), and Scarlett Camberos (18th minute) scoring within the first 25 minutes of the game, securing a 4-0 win.
The Jamaican team struggled to find their footing, failing to create scoring opportunities and ultimately succumbing to Mexico’s dominance. The losses highlighted areas for improvement for the Jamaican team, including their ability to control possession and create scoring chances.
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Burton highlighted the team’s character and fight in the second half of the second game.
“It was good how we ended because obviously the overall tour wasn’t a success, but it finished on a positive,” he said in a post-game interview. “We had lots of territory in the second half of the second game where we pressured and we pressured from the front and we caused Mexico a lot of problems. Just a little bit more quality at the end and we maybe would have got a lot of goals, so that’s the positive to take forward.”
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Burton also praised the team’s resilience.
“The Girlz showed character in the second half after another bad start to the game and they could have gone under and they could have just not done what they did in the second half and so credit to them for showing character and a bit of fight at the end,” he said.
However, Burton expressed concerns about the team’s intensity.
“We said it from the first game, the intensity wasn’t there again, I don’t know why,” he said. “I can’t put my finger on it but, like I said, the second half of the second game was a different story and I think we should have really got something out of the second half because they deserved it.
“That’s what we want from them. We said if you can start like that in games and take it to half-time on a more level playing field, then the second half, if we carried on how we did, we would have maybe got some joy.”
Despite the losses, Burton noted that some players showed improvement in specific areas.
“There are a few players we’ve definitely spoken to and marked down on certain areas where they were in a different position in the first game to the second game and a much better performance and outcome from their own individual side,” the former Reggae Boyz striker said.
As the Reggae Girlz move forward, Burton hopes to build on the positives from the tour.
“Hopefully when we come to camp again we start on the same foot and start with a better purpose,” he said.
Mexico’s Nicole Perez (left) goes for a tackle against Jamaica’s Vyan Sampson during their international friendly match in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday. (Photo: AFP)
