Although the scoreboard painted a grim image in back-to-back losses to Mexico, Reggae Girlz Assistant Coach Deon Burton is specializing in development, resilience, and the essential takeaways that will in the end form the crew’s future.
Dealing with a technically superior Mexican squad, the Jamaican ladies’s nationwide crew was outplayed in each fixtures of their worldwide pleasant sequence, however Burton refuses to permit the defeats to outline the tour.
Dominated, however not defeated in spirit
Mexico wasted no time asserting their authority. Within the first conflict at Kansas Metropolis’s CPKC Stadium, Jamaica fell behind early, conceding three targets in speedy succession. Alexia Delgado (23′), Christina Burkenroad (32′), and Rebeca Bernal (37′) all discovered the web earlier than halftime, successfully sealing a 3-0 victory for the hosts.
4 days later at Houston’s Shell Power Stadium, Mexico delivered one other scientific efficiency, placing away 4 targets in simply 25 minutes. Lizbeth Ovalle (8′), Alice Soto (11′, 24′), and Scarlett Camberos (18′) carved by means of Jamaica’s protection with ease, leaving the Girlz chasing shadows.
However whereas the matches had been lopsided when it comes to possession and probabilities, Burton noticed a silver lining—particularly within the crew’s fightback in the course of the second half of the ultimate match.
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‘A constructive to take ahead’
“It was good how we ended as a result of clearly the general tour wasn’t successful, nevertheless it completed on a constructive,” stated Burton in a post-game interview. “We had numerous territory within the second half of the second recreation the place we pressured and we pressured from the entrance and we brought on Mexico quite a lot of issues. Just a bit bit extra high quality on the finish and we perhaps would have gotten quite a lot of targets, in order that’s the constructive to take ahead.”
Burton recommended the crew’s second-half surge—an aggressive and coordinated press that disrupted Mexico’s rhythm and hinted at what the Girlz are able to when firing on all cylinders.
Glimpses of grit and development
He praised the psychological power proven after a disheartening first half, saying, “The Girlz confirmed character within the second half after one other unhealthy begin to the sport and so they may have gone beneath and so they may have simply not achieved what they did within the second half, and so credit score to them for displaying character and a little bit of battle on the finish.”
Regardless of the encouraging second-half show, Burton didn’t shrink back from declaring inconsistencies within the crew’s total efficiency—significantly of their depth ranges.
“We stated it from the primary recreation, the depth wasn’t there once more, I don’t know why,” he admitted. “I can’t put my finger on it however, like I stated, the second half of the second recreation was a special story and I feel we must always have actually acquired one thing out of the second half as a result of they deserved it.”
He emphasised that quick begins are crucial, including, “That’s what we would like from them. We stated if you can begin like that in video games and take it to half-time on a extra degree enjoying discipline, then the second half, if we carried on how we did, we might have perhaps acquired some pleasure.”
Particular person wins amid crew struggles
Although the collective outcomes had been disappointing, Burton acknowledged progress on the particular person degree. “There are a number of gamers we’ve undoubtedly spoken to and marked down on sure areas the place they had been in a special place within the first recreation to the second recreation and a significantly better efficiency and end result from their very own particular person aspect,” he famous.
This development mindset underlines Burton’s dedication to growing gamers not only for in the present day, however for the lengthy haul.
Eyes on the longer term
Trying forward, Burton hopes the Reggae Girlz can carry the power and intent from that second-half push into future camps and competitions.
“Hopefully once we come to camp once more we begin on the identical foot and begin with a greater objective,” he stated, emphasizing the necessity to construct on the momentum sparked within the latter levels of the tour.
Although the scoreboard didn’t favor Jamaica, the tour supplied exhausting classes, invaluable insights, and glimpses of the crew’s potential when absolutely engaged—a basis Burton believes they’ll construct upon.
