Ready to roll!
Having accomplished all that she set out to with top-flight Hungarian club Ferencvarosi Torna, striker Tiffany Cameron is now eagerly looking forward to being back in the Reggae Girlz band with hopes of extending her rich vein of form.
Cameron, who joined Ferencvarosi, more popularly known as FTC-Telecom, in October last year for a one-year stint, had three goals in mind — to improve her craft, win the title and shoot for Champions League action — all of which she did with ease.
Such was her determination to bring all her vision to fruition in the Central European country, that she quickly became a regular in the Balázs Dörnyei-coached outfit and consistently played an instrumental role throughout the entire season.
In fact, of the 11 goals scored by the Canadian-born Jamaican striker, two came in FTC-Telecom’s decisive 3-0 and 3-2 scorelines against rivals MTK Hungária FC that handed them their sixth lien on the Hungarian Cup and fourth hold on the Simple Women’s League title.
Those victories also secured them a spot in next season’s Women’s Champions League.
For Cameron, 29, the atmosphere and competitiveness at FTC-Telecom provide a good feel for stability unlike at some of the nine clubs in six countries that she represented — never staying for more than a year.
“My first season in Hungary was exciting. It was amazing to walk away as Hungarian Cup champions and League champions and it was also great to be in a professional environment where players came to practice always competing to be in the starting 11. This club has a lot of very talented and intelligent players and what I appreciate is that we have great players off the bench,” Cameron told the Jamaica Observer.
“I think it’s so important to be in an environment where you are always tested to bring your best because if you don’t, there is always someone ready to fill your position. Our team went through some challenging times with injuries and the [novel] coronavirus pandemic, but we became stronger because of this,” she added from her base in Budapest.
As one of the club’s new recruits, Cameron was always aware that she would be under the watchful eyes of the management team throughout her stint and, as such, was always eager and ready to make her mark when called upon.
She said her main focus was always set on bringing experience, positivity and creativity to the team and by extension prove that she can be a valuable asset wherever the game takes her, both on and off the pitch.
Another season with FTC-Telecom would see Cameron getting her third taste of Champions League action in her 11-year football career. Her last stint prior to FTC’s short run last season, came in 2015 with Cyprus-based club Apollon Limassol, where she had a brace in an 8-0 win over Maltese club Hibernians.
“Those last two play-off games were the most important games of the season because the club now has another opportunity to compete in Champions League and hopefully advance further than we did last year. It’s safe to say that the cohesiveness amongst the players grew gradually every month and we improved a lot individually and collectively.
“As a foreigner, I believe it was my responsibility to bring something a bit extra to the game and show up in big moments. Each game, I felt more confident about my performances and so I’m very happy with my play-off performances and I’m pleased overall that I was able to play an important role in helping my club qualify for Champions League,” the versatile footballer, who played six friendly contests for Canada’s senior women’s team in 2013, noted.
Having now rediscovered her true goal-scoring potential and a refreshed confidence, Cameron is eyeing continued improvement in her performances when she joins her Reggae Girlz teammates for two friendly contests in Houston.
The June 10 and 13 games against African flag bearers Nigeria and world champions the USA and are part of US Soccer 2021 Women’s National Team (WNT) Summer Series, presented by AT&T 5G.
They will also serve as the start of the Hubert Busby-coached Reggae Girlz preparation for the World Cup qualifiers later this year, as they will be preceded by a camp scheduled to begin today.
“I’m confident and ready for camp and think these last games were good tests for me performing under pressure with not so much time in between games to rest. It will be the same type of feeling in camp,” said Cameron, who is listed in the final 23-player squad for the camp and games.
“This upcoming camp is important for us to evaluate where we are in comparison to other top tier national teams and it will be an opportunity for us to build as a team.
“So I’m expecting camp to be very competitive because there will be new players coming in who will be motivated to show what they can bring to the table to help improve our squad. I’m also looking forward to our games against Nigeria and America and I’m ready for the challenge ahead,” the jovial player, who was a member of the historic 2019 World Cup squad, ended.