7 months ago
26
Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz will face a tough Mexican team in the first of two international friendlies at the CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri today at 4:30 p.m.
The match is being played at a neutral venue, but head coach Hubert Busby Jr has warned that the Girlz will be in a hostile environment as the Mexicans are usually well supported by their vociferous fans when they play in the United States.
Busby believes the match is good preparation for the type of hostility they might have to endure, especially in Central America, during the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
“When you are playing Mexico anywhere in the USA, men or women, at whatever stadium, you know it is going to be a home game for them.
“So we will have to deal with all of that heading into these two matches. It is a challenge, but it is a challenge I know the players will be up for,” he said
Busby said the recent games against Peru and the two against the Mexicans are all part of their plan to give the girls a taste of what to expect from Central and South American teams.
“We had two games in Peru and like everything else we are going to have some challenges. But that was one of the reasons why we were adamant about going there.
“The games provided an opportunity for conditions and environments that we might face in Central America. So we are very deliberate in how we go about setting these games and how we go about winning World Cup qualifying matches in conditions that aren’t sometimes favourable,” he added.
Meanwhile, the head coach also warned that the Mexican team will be a superior one to the players they defeated en route to qualifying for a second World Cup two years ago. However, he is looking for his team to build on the improvements they have been making over the past four matches.
“A lot of the young (Mexican) players coming through now are a little more dynamic. Most Mexican teams are looking to play combination plays but they are not afraid to go direct as well, which obviously we will have to deal with. We have been able to watch them and monitor them and they have a lot of good players.
“But it is about going out there and improving on the performances of the last four matches. We have to continue to win or put in a good performance that allows us to win,” Busby said.
Mexico have had the better of head-to-head clashes against Jamaica in recent years. However, the last time the Mexicans faced a full strength Jamaican team, in 2022, they were beaten 1-0. The Reggae Girlz are on a four-game unbeaten run with two wins each against South Africa and Peru.
English (US) ·