Captain Khadija “Bunny” Shaw struck early to propel Jamaica to a potentially huge win over hosts Mexico in their CONCACAF Women’s Championship Group A opening encounter inside Estadio Universitario on Monday night.
It was a historic first victory by a Jamaican team against Mexico on home soil and it places Jamaica in a great position to gain one of the two automatic qualifying places for next year’s FIFA World Cup Finals in Australia and New Zealand.
The third-placed team will also earn at another chance at qualification via an inter-continental play-off.
Group A favorites the USA blanked Haiti 3-0 in the curtain-raiser, leaving the World Champions atop the group ahead of Jamaica on goal difference.
Jamaica will face the USA on Thursday, while Mexico will look for revenge against Haiti.
Group B will see action on Tuesday when Costa Rica opposes Panama in the first game, and Canada takes on Trinidad and Tobago in the second game.
The Reggae Girlz went ahead in eight minutes when Shaw glanced a header from a Deneisha Blackwood free-kick past the advancing Emily Alvarado in goal for Mexico.
The lead should have been doubled in 40 minutes, but midfielder Havana Solaun, who scored Jamaica’s lone goal at the 2019 FIFA World Cup Finals in France, missed a penalty.
Shaw hit the frame, and Jody Brown also had a few changes to make the game secure but failed to do so.
Head coach Lorne Donaldson was pleased with the three points.
“It’s a good score for us; obviously, we got three points, but I don’t think the Mexican team is over yet with the tournament. It’s a long way to go, we have two more games to go, and we can’t sit around and wait. We enjoy this game tonight (Monday), and then we have two more tough games coming up, so we have to try to get some more points out of the next two games, and hopefully, than can propel us to advance.”
Donaldson, who had engineered a training camp in his Colorado hometown, added that the time spent at high-altitude Colorado paid off.
“We came into this game without even playing a practice game, but we went to Colorado, and we trained a bit. I’m very proud of the girls and the way we stood up and fought all night, and I think the training we did in preparation helped us a lot, so I’m very proud of the girls. I give them all the credit. I stand on the sideline and just point my fingers. They did the job.”
Donaldson also noted that he expects the home side to bounce back strongly in the remaining games, as they are too much of a good team not to.
“We thought we could have got something from a set-piece, and we did, but this Mexican team, I think they are going to bounce back. They are a very good team, and they are well-coached and well prepared; we just happened tonight to find the back of the net, and they didn’t.”
He was also impressed with goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer who was called on to make a few critical saves in the game.
“I thought she played very well, and she’s good with her feet, so we used her strength a little bit. The way we played tonight was a little bit different from how we normally play, and I thought Spencer did an excellent job, made a few good saves, and that’s what it takes to win games like this where the keeper has to come up big, and she came up big, and I’m proud of her.”
The coach also admitted that his side was well prepared tactically to stymie the approach of the Mexicans.
“All the crosses coming in, we expected them, and it is something we prepared for. The Mexican team is very good at crosses and not just the crosses but winning the second ball, and we prepared for that style of play, and it worked out for us.”
Group A Points Standings
Team P W L D Gf Ga Gd Pts
USA 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 3
Jamaica 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3
Mexico 1 0 1 0 0 1 -1 0
Haiti 1 0 1 0 0 3 -3 0
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