After grinding out a 1-0 win in Friday’s opener, Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz return to action today for the second and final friendly against Panama, with Head Coach Hubert Busby demanding more composure in attack and clarity in midfield.

Shania Hayles’ goal was the difference in game one, but Busby wants to see better decision-making when the teams meet again this evening at the Estadio Rommel Fernández in Panama City.

“We would like to improve our build-up play through midfield and finish our final actions in the attacking third of the pitch. At times, I think we were a little too anxious to finish the play, when another pass or a well-timed executed run would have been a better option,” Busby told the Jamaica Observer.

While the staff has a plan for today’s match, Busby said player availability will be dictated by the medical and high-performance teams. Several European-based players are coming off long club seasons and are still adjusting to the heat and humidity.

“We have an idea of what we would like to do for the match. However, we must first work closely with the medical and high-performance staff to see who should be utilised from a load management perspective,” he said.

“Once we determine that, we will look at the best options available. In the end, we would like to give as many minutes as possible to some of our younger players, who have not experienced this kind of match before,” Busby added.

Friday’s 1-0 result marked another tight contest between the Concacaf rivals. Busby credited the team’s organisation without the ball for seeing out the win.

“As staff, we were pleased with the team’s defensive shape and organisation. In the end, that played a major factor in the win,” he said.

The winning goal came from a set piece, an area Busby said the group has targeted.

BUSBY… we would like to give as many minutes as possible to some of our younger players who have not experienced this kind of match before (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

“Set pieces are a vital part of the game. It is also an area where we aim to improve both offensively and defensively. Executing on a set-piece goal is simply a reward for the effort the group has put in,” he explained.

Despite recent history — Jamaica beat Panama at the 2023 World Cup — Busby shut down talk of 2022 qualifying narratives and said the focus was forward-looking.

“As a staff, we did not discuss the prior results with this group,” Busby said.

“However, we did discuss certain key players for them and how they are currently playing under this new coaching staff in our scouting reports. The focus is on the present and how we can collectively improve moving forward,” the coach affirmed.

He also pushed back on questions about the November 27 Concacaf Women’s Championship opener against Costa Rica, insisting the camp is about internal standards.

“Currently, we are not focusing on Costa Rica; our attention is on ourselves, particularly on areas within our playing principles where we can improve,” Busby said.

“At every camp, players are expected to perform to their highest standards, not only during matches but also in training sessions. We are focusing on a solid core of players, who are consistent in their play,” stated Busby.

For Busby, the objectives from game one were met, a clean sheet and a win.

“We are pleased with the overall team performance based on the objectives we set prior to the match. In the end, we’ve kept a clean sheet and got a positive result,” he ended.