Lady Jags did excellent against well oiled Haiti; Head Coach Joseph proud

Mar 06, 2020 Sports

Taking on a well trained and confident Haiti side in their quarter-final of the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship at the Estadio Panamericano, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic on Wednesday afternoon last was certainly not going to be easy.
It brought with it some nervous moments at the beginning of the clash for a team that is ranked 23 in Concacaf against the #4 but the ‘Lady Jags’ on their history making journey at the championship, made themselves, coaching staff and country proud by putting in another fighting performance despite losing 0-3.

Head Coach Ivan Joseph (right) with his Technical Staff who guided the U20 ‘Lady Jags’ on their historic journey.

Prior to this championship, the name Guyana was non-existent at this level but their first journey at the Under-20 would always be a memorable one as they proved that they belonged by turning in some fantastic performances which began last year here at the Leonora Track and Field Centre, Leonora, West Coast Demerara when they won Group A of the Qualifiers.
Then, Guyana swept past Suriname 3-1 after securing respective 2-0 wins against Bermuda, Antigua & Barbuda and Saint Lucia.
Fast forward to the Dominican Republic in February 2020, the Lady Jags continued their winnings ways after being promoted to the Concacaf Women’s Under 20 Group Stage as a result of Concacaf earning the rights to host the FIFA Women’s Under 20 World Cup 2020; two slots becoming available and filled by Guyana and St. Kitts and Nevis, which won Group B.
Competing in Group D in the Dominican Republic, Guyana took care of Nicaragua 3-1, Puerto Rico 2-1, lost to Mexico 0-3 in group play. They qualified for the round-of-16 where they beat the Cayman Islands 2-0 but lost their quarter final clash with Haiti, 0-3.
A proud Head Coach, Ivan Joseph expressed delight for the way his charges performed at these championships for the first time. Joseph, who worked hard with his Technical Staff ever since qualifying to ensure the girls were fully prepared with training here in Guyana and Canada is confident that the best is yet to come.
He summed up the Haiti match: “Haiti was physical, they were fast, they were technical, they were tactically sound, they were well organised, they were well disciplined; we were overmatched. Having said that, I am proud of the way the girls played; they fought with heart, they hustled to the end. They were committed, they worked hard, I’m proud of the effort and how they portrayed themselves in this tournament.”
Joseph also shared his thoughts on what can be accomplished with the support of the relevant stakeholders, referencing to Haiti.
“You see what the investment of the government, the federation and fifa can do. They have their own academy; their own school system, they’re training 11 ½ months a year, they are training five hours a day, they’ve got a fulltime staff of three and for us to even be able to be on the same field with them is testament to how well this team has played.”
The support of the fans and all others were felt and appreciated by the players and staff, Joseph stated.
“I want to say thank you to all our fans and all our supporters back home in Guyana who’ve been following along and cheering us on, the ladies have felt your support and love and we appreciate the support of all. We look forward to what’s to come, the future is bright; as we like to say, the best is yet to come.”