‘We didn’t play well!’
MONTERREY, Mexico — Jamaica were put to the sword and crashed 0-5 to the USA in their top-of-the-table Group A match at the Concacaf Women’s Championship at the Estadio BBVA here on Thursday.
The win means that defending World Cup champions USA raced to six points and secured their spot at the 2023 edition to be staged in Australia/New Zealand. Jamaica are now left to battle for second qualifying spot from the group when they meet neighbours Haiti on Monday.
Host country Mexico and Haiti were scheduled to meet in the second encounter of a double-header last night. Both teams started that match pointless.
Girlz Head Coach Lorne Donaldson was left livid by the performance of the team.
“We gave up two goals in six minutes…we didn’t play well. We are not going to play the world champions and play that way,” he said.
Jamaica made only two changes to the starting team that defeated Mexico as in came Chinyelu Asher for Drew Spence and Trudi Carter for Paige Bailey-Gayle.
For their part, the American left out star striker Alex Morgan, but she wasn’t missed as Sophia Smith notched a double in three minutes scoring in the 5th and 8th minutes that stunned the Reggae Girlz.
Smith got the better of left wing-back Deneisha Blackwood and placed a beautiful shot past the bewildered Rebecca Spencer in Jamaica goal.
Before the Reggae Girlz could regroup, they were blind-sided by another strike from Smith, whose grandmother is a Jamaican and the daughter of retired basketballer Kenny Smith.
For her second goal, Smith latched onto a long ball and chipped the onrushing goalkeeper Spencer before her effort just made it over the line, despite a gallant effort by Allyson Swaby to clear.
Mallory Pugh thought she had made it 3-0, but her close-range effort was ruled offside in the 27th minute just before the first water break came to effectively cool down the red-hot Americans in the humid Estadio BBVA.
The half-time couldn’t have come earlier as the Jamaicans had limited possession and two shots — a grounder by Jodi Brown and one from Skipper Khadija Shaw that sailed way over the bar.
On the resumption, Donaldson replaced Jody Brown with Paige Bailey-Gayle, while the world champion pulled two-goal hero Smith and brought on Margaret Purce.
Immediately the American went on the offensive and Ashley Hatch’s dipping shot hit the base of Rebecca Spencer’s right upright in the 47th minute.
But in the 59th minute, the USA’s Ashley Sanchez found space behind the back line and picked out Rose Levelle at the back post, who tapped home making it 3-0.
In a rare substitution, Skipper Shaw was replaced by Kalyssa Vanzanten and the lively Drew Spence came on for Atlanta Primus in the 63rd minute.
But that didn’t stop the Americans’ surge and substitute Kristie Mewis rammed home from the penalty spot making it 4-0 in the 83rd minute.
Another substitute, Trinity Rodman — the daughter of basketball legend Dennis Rodman — made no mistake from close range in the 86th and completed the rout 5-0 rout.
Teams
Jamaica — 13-Rebecca Spencer, 04-Chantelle Swaby, 06-Havana Solaun, 07-Chinyelu Asher, 10-Jody (16-Paige Bailey-Gayle 46th), 11-Khadija (15-Kalyssa Vanzanten 63rd), 14-Deneisha Blackwood, 17-Allyson Swaby, 18-Trudi Carter (08-Kayla McCoy 76th), 19-Tiernny Wiltshire, 20-Atlanta Primus (09-Drew Spence 63rd).
Subs not used: 01-Sydney Schneider, 23-Yazmeen Jamieson, 02-Satara Murray, 03-Vyan Sampson, 05-Jade Bailey, 12-Jayada Pelaia, 21-Olufolasade Adamoluken, 22-Mireya Grey.
Booked: 14-Deneisha Blackwood (43rd), 17-Allyson Swaby (90th).
Coach: Lorne Donaldson
USA — 01-Alyssa Naeher, 02-Ashley Sanchez, 03-Alana Cook, 07-Ashley Hatch (06-Trinity Rodman 60th), 08-Sofia Huerta, 09-Mallory Pugh, 10-Lindsey Horan (22-Kristie Mewis 60th), 11-Sophia Smith (23-Margaret Purce 46th), 12-Naomi Girma, 16-Rose Lavelle (20-Taylor Kornieck 65th), 19-Emily Fox.
Subs not used: Casey Murphy, 21-Aubrey Kingsbury, 04-Becky Sauerbrunn, 05-Kelley O’Hara, 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Emily Sonnett, 17-Andi Sullivan.
Booked: 02-Ashley Sanchez (45+1)
Coach: Vlatko Andonovsk