Sport
FIFA grants CONCACAF another Women's World Cup spot
BY SEAN A WILLIAMS Assistant Sport Editor
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- The news that FIFA has granted CONCACAF an additional spot for the 2015 World Cup could be a welcome boost for Jamaica's senior Reggae Girlz.
FIFA announced recently that its parliament has approved the increase in the number of participating countries from 16 to 24, starting with the 2015 tournament.
Burdened by a lack of funding, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) was forced to cut the senior women's programme for next year's world tournament to be staged in Germany. Also axed is the women's Olympic programme.
There are those who are of the belief that the senior Girlz have demonstrated enough that they are capable of possibly booking one of the four CONCACAF spots.
In 2007, the Girlz came a mere whisker away from a historic place in the China tournament, but were squeezed out by CONCACAF giants USA, Canada and Mexico for the three available spots then.
The fourth-placed finish at the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup in the USA, which serves as a qualifying tournament for the World Cup, was the Girlz's best effort in trying to achieve the unprecedented feat.
The team captain at that championship, Alicia Wilson, was heartbroken when she heard that the JFF was forced to chop the senior team for upcoming qualifiers for the 2011 Germany World Cup.
"It is never a good thing to scrap, especially the women's programme which has evolved so much... it's so (the cut) difficult because I would have had another opportunity to play in the World Cup, and I have always believed that we can go (to the World Cup)," said Wilson, who plays professionally here for premiership team Escazu.
It is hoped though that by the time the 2015 qualifiers come around, the JFF would have revived the senior Girlz programme, because an added CONCACAF spot would indeed open up the possibilities of a Jamaican team qualifying for the World Cup.
Head coach of the women's programme, Vin Blaine, who is in Costa Rica with the Under-17 team women's team, was delighted on first hearing the news, but declined comment at this time.
Jamaica, who were due to face Panama in their final Group A match of the CONCACAF Under-17 Women's World Cup tournament yesterday, have been eliminated after suffering defeats to Canada (1-4) and Mexico (0-3) and are due home tonight.
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3/18/2010
FIFA now has a ''parliament'' ?
what on earth is happening to these internatioonal sporting bodies....why do they want to become like government, have you noticed how these man act like emperors ?
no wonder so much cheating goes on in sports....power, control n glory,....thats all it has become
...then again..........look at the scandals that has rocked FIFA and the IOC in recent years ....and these same people want to hold the little athletes to such high standards
as jack ass seh........not a level world at all
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