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Battle in Los Angeles: Lady Jaguars battle Dominican Republic in CONCACAF Gold-Cup play
Otesha Charles
Kaieteur Sports – The Guyana National Women’s Football Team commonly known as the “Lady Jaguars” will today lock horns with the Dominican Republic in the winner-take-all 2024 CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup play-off encounter.
This match will be played at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California (1:00pm Los Angeles/5 pm Guyana time).
The winner of this clash will have the unique opportunity to advance to Group B where they will face women’s world football powerhouse United States alongside Mexico and Argentina.
OVERVIEW:
Both Guyana and the Dominican Republic enter this game having won their respective League B groups. They each won five (5) of the six (6) matches that were played from September to December 2023.
However, the Lady Jags had a slightly better defensive record having not conceded a goal since their surprising 2-1 loss to Antigua in September, which they avenged in December winning 3-0.
This is even more impressive considering Guyana was the only CONCACAF team in qualifying who were denied the opportunity to play at home.
Sydney Cummings & Shanice Alfred
STRENGTHS:
Throughout this winning streak, the Lady Jaguars developed a clear successful spine. Starting in defence with captain and goal-keeper Chante Sandiford alongside the center-back pairing of Sydney Cummings and Justine Rodrigues. The midfield trio of Brianne Desa, Stefanie Kouzaz and Jalade Trim. Finally in attack led by leading English-based wing forward Otesha Charles (7 goals) alongside Shanice Alfred and Annalisa Vincent
The Guyanese-born duo of Trim and Vincent gaining regular starts has also been a notable moment in the team’s development.
SETBACKS:
Considering these play-offs being played outside the FIFA window unlike the group phase – the lady Jags will be without service pro-defender Cummings. The Dominican Republic has two pro players in England and Portugal, but their availability is unknown.
Celtic FC women play against Rivals Rangers FC on Sunday, February 18 and thus Cummings won’t be available to Guyana unless they advance to the group stage.
Also other veterans from the original 2010 group such as Rodrigues, De Souza sisters, and Mariam El Masri who either played in qualifiers or whose names were publicly announced by CONCACAF on each team’s provisional 60-member squad list were not selected. The GFF did not explain their absence during squad announcement.
EXPECTATIONS:
The Lady Jags have the now built solid experience of playing being unbeaten in high stakes winner takes all games since 2022 in competitive matches. In April 2022, they drew 2-2 with Trinidad & Tobago and defeated Suriname 1-0 twice at home last October.
That factor is what will undoubtedly be a key confidence the team can call on in what will be a tense encounter.
Goal Keepers: Chante Sandiford – Captain (Unattached/Iceland), Raven Edwards-Dowdall (North Toronto Nitros/Canada), Anessa O’Brien (Thompson Rivers University/Canada)
Defenders: Sydney Cummins (Celtic FC/Scotland), Kristen Bettencourt (Pickering FC/Canada), Rylee Traicoff (Nipissing University/Canada), Janea Knight (Charleston Southern University/USA), Anya Tribune (Charlotte Independence/USA), Hope Windebank (Alliance United/Canada), Annika Sporxton (Woodbridge SC/Canada), Heike Clarke (Markham SC/Canada)
Midfielders: Brianne Desa (Simcoe County Rovers SC/Canada), Stefanie Kousaz (McGill University/Canada), Hannah Baptiste (Bromley FC/England), Jalade Trim (Guyana Defence Force), Samantha Banfield (York University), Dylana Makarowski (York University), Sandra Johnson (Guyana Defense Force)
Forwards: Otesha Charles (Chatham Town FC/England), Shanice Alfred (Pickering FC/Canada), Annalisa Vincent (Guyana Police Force), Neema Liverpool (Passaic FC/USA), Lakeisha Pearson (Guyana Police Force)
Guyana captain Chante Sandiford.
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