Girlz hit Dom Rep for 6
SAN CRISTOBAL, Dominican Republic — Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz hit the Dominican Republic for six in an overall dominant display in their CFU Group Three Olympic qualifying match at the Estadio Panamericano yesterday.
In the 6-0 blowout, Khadija Shaw (21st & 64th) and Venicia Reid (32nd & 69th), plus solo strikes from substitutes Tashana Vincent (78th) and Shanise Foster completed the scoring.
Jamaica now only need a draw in their final game against Dominica tomorrow to top the three-nation group to book their spot to the CFU finals slated for October.
In the eighth minute, the hosts got a glorious chance to take the lead when a misjudged header by Jamaica defender Alika Keene sent Yaqueisi Nunez on goal, but a back-tracking Konya Plummer nudged the striker off balance and the resulting shot bubbled wide.
But in those early moments, the Girlz showed more class in the build-up from the back through the midfield, but the three-prong attack of Reid, Christine Exeter and Donna-Kay Henry — though fearsome in appearance going forward — lacked the killer instincts to seize that early initiative.
But having failed to open the scoring from open play, Jamaica took the lead through a set piece when midfielder Shaw curled a free kick from the edge of the area past a clueless goalkeeper Minaya Isairis.
In a piece of brilliant individual play in the 32nd minute, Reid mesmerised a flock of retreating Dominican Republic players cutting across the field from left to right before gliding into the 18-yard box to finish off with aplomb.
After a patch of scrappy play by both teams, who appeared a tad jaded following their dressing room sojourn, Jamaica put some spark back into the game when Shaw curled an edge-of-box free kick that hit the underside of the goal before going in.
And five minutes later, Reid was well positioned to tap home the rebound off a shot from Exeter, before Vincent added her flavour to the party, then Foster put the icing on the cake.
Jamaica’s next game will be against Dominica tomorrow at 4:30 pm (3:30 Jamaica time).
In the curtain-raiser yesterday, Guyana and Cuba drew 1-1 in a Group Four encounter. The Dominican Republic is hosting two groups of these CFU eliminations.