Soccer Sport

Girl Power On The Ball: The Reggae Girlz Prepare For France

Girl Power On The Ball: The Reggae Girlz Prepare For France

They did it! Three simple words that convey entire worlds of emotion and meaning for patriotic Jamaicans and for football fans in particular.

The “they” in question is the Jamaica National Women’s Senior Football team, or simply, the Reggae Girlz, who on virtue of a penalty shootout win over Panama, sealed qualification for the 2019 edition of the Women’s World Cup slated for France June 7 – July7, the first Caribbean women’s team to ever achieve that feat.

This writer caught up with the busy Assistant Coach Andrew Price at the recent CB Group/UWI 5K Run/ Walk event, where the team received a special citation from the organizers (along with Olympian Omar McLeod). Coach Price, describing the immediate post-qualification rush as “still not having fully sank in”, specially recalled the team’s recent visit to Birmingham, where the Girlz played – and successfully outclassed – the Nottingham Forest ladies, at the famous City Ground.

Word had certainly gotten around ahead of the team’s arrival. Almost 4000 patrons turned up for the match, reported to be the largest crowd in Europe for a women’s match. As might be expected, a strong and vocal Jamaican Diaspora contingent – as well as non-Jamaican supporters – turned out to show their appreciation and cheer the Girlz on.