Dr Ivan Joseph, Head Coach of the Lady Jags, Guyana’s female Under-20 Football Team, has expressed both pride in this team, and satisfaction with the way they have had performed in the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championships, after they bowed out of the competition on Wednesday evening.
This Guyana team lost the quarterfinal game to Haiti through a hat-trick from Haitian midfielder Melchie Durmonay, but Head Coach Dr Ivan Joseph has explained that the team were fully aware of the challenge they were up against.
“I looked at it (the challenge) and I saw the scores of Haiti going into the game, and I would be lying if I said that the team wasn’t a little nervous. (In Haiti’s) last game, they beat Barbados 12-0, so this team has been rolling through the tournament. If they went on to win this tournament, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Dr Joseph noted.
Action was intense in Wednesday evening’s CONCACAF U-20 game featuring Guyana and Haiti
Giving Haiti their rightful praise for a game well played, Coach Dr Joseph also commended the Guyanese XI, who fought valiantly until the final whistle was blown.
“We played one of the very best teams we’ve seen in the tournament. Haiti was physical, fast, technical, tactically sound, well organized and disciplined; and we were over-matched. Having said that, I’m proud of the way the (Guyanese) 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,” he explained.
Delving deeper into what Guyana lacked going into this quarterfinal encounter, Dr Joseph highlighted Haiti’s constant training and preparedness, while touching on the fact that the Guyanese team are not so privileged.
“If you look at Haiti, you could see what the investment of the government, the Federation and FIFA can do. That team has been together; they have their own academy, their own school system; they’ve been training 11 and a half months a year, retraining 5 hours a day; and they have a full-time staff of three. And for us to even be able to be on the field as them is a testament to how well this team has played,” Dr Joseph explained.
This Head Coach has thanked the Guyanese diaspora for their support during the tournament, and has expressed his optimism about the future for Guyanese female football.
“I just want to say a quick ‘Thank you!’ to all our fans and supporters back in Guyana, who have been following along and cheering us on. We felt your love and support, and we appreciate the support of all of you. We look forward to what’s to come; the future is bright,” he enthused.
Haiti, USA, The Dominican Republic and defending champions Mexico are the final four teams in the CONCACAF U20 championships. (Jemima Holmes)
