Setback to stepping stone
Jamaica’s U-17 Reggae Girlz coach says Concacaf Qualifiers loss catalyst for growth
Despite falling short in their bid to advance to the next round of the 2025 Concacaf Under-17 Women’s Qualifiers and a possible shot of making it to the World Cup, Head Coach Marlon Hylton remains optimistic, viewing the setback as a valuable learning experience.
The disappointment, he said, will serve as a catalyst for growth, allowing the team to assess what went wrong, identify areas for improvement, and ultimately inform an effective strategy for future success.
“It’s about preparation for the next cycle,” Hylton told the Jamaica Observer.
“We will assess what went well and areas that need to be improved on as a technical staff in order to be successful next time around. With this template it can help us to put a more successful plan in place next time around for players and staff all together,” he further said.
The young Reggae Girlz suffered a heartbreaking 1-2 loss to hosts Nicaragua, squandering a golden opportunity to advance to the next round. Having convincingly defeated St Kitts and Nevis 6-0 in their opener, a mere point against Nicaragua would have sealed their progression, but it was not to be.
Hylton said that the team’s performance was marred by an early goal conceded, which put them on the back foot.
“It was a tough game to lose. The girls did well despite the result. Football is played in moments and two moments we shut off in the game and as a result we conceded two goals. When we conceded an early goal, I just thought that it took us too long to settle. We fought our way back in the game but as the game went on fatigue chipped and we lacked concentration in key moments. The girls gave it their best shot, but in the end we fell short,” he explained.
In the aftermath of the loss, Hylton’ message to the team was filled with encouragement and meant to instill pride.
“I told them to hold their heads high. They did well and gave it a good fight, despite the circumstances. We had some injury concerns with key players before the game. We had about six players suffering from shin splint which came from the turf,” he said.
—Ruddy Allen
