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Post by Admin on Sept 7, 2018 22:53:26 GMT
www.stabroeknews.com/2018/sports/09/07/guyana-scrape-to-2-2-draw-with-barbados/Guyana scrape to 2-2 draw with BarbadosVurlon Mills (left) and Trayon Bobb (no.20) challenging a Barbados player for possession of the ball during their clash in the CONCACAF Nations League at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora. A 78th-minute strike from Neil Danns, rescued a vital point for Guyana, as their opening CONCACAF Nations League clash with Barbados ended 2-2 yesterday at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora. Barbados seemed destined to end their two decade drought against the local side, as they overcame a 1-0 deficit following a scoreless first half that witnessed Guyana spurn several chances, to earn a 2-1 lead. [Their previous victory occurred in 1999 via a 2-0 margin in Bridgetown in the Caribbean Cup.] However, Danns, the Bury FC midfielder had other plans, capitalizing on a poor clearance from the Barbadian rearguard to send the large crowd into a frenzy. Latching onto a resulting Vurlon Mills pass 22 yards outside the penalty box, the 34-year-old midfielder uncorked a powerful flat strike which settled into the lower right corner. The eventual scoreline was not a reflection of the clash, as the large crowd departed the venue with mixed emotions in what was head-coach Michael Johnson’s managerial debut. Poor finishing was the major deficiency of the night, as Guyana spurned several chances in a dominant opening half. Ranked 182nd on the FIFA ladder, Guyana’s starting XI which featured seven overseas-born players, consisted of Kai McKenzie Lyle (GK), debutante Ronayme Marsh-Brown, Jake Newton, Brandon Beresford, Samuel Cox [Captain], Sheldon Holder, Danns, Andrew Murray Jr, Daniel Wilson, Trayon Bobb and Jelani Smith. Despite suffering an injury to centre-half Newton in the 22nd minute, the Guyanese should have taken the lead in the 31st minute, as Murray Jr. was dispossessed by the goalkeeper. Racing onto a lobbed pass over the back-line, the dapper forward inexplicably failed to control the ball following a one on one situation, allowing the advancing custodian to smother the danger. Holder was the next culprit in the 36th minute, storming onto a pass inside the right of the box, only to fire his effort over the crossbar while under the impending challenge of the onrushing goalkeeper. Wilson added to the growing list of Guyana’s abysmal finishing in the 42nd minute. This was probably the worst of the lot, as Wilson following a flicked on pass from a left-sided cross, fired his effort wide of the right side unchallenged inside the centre of the area. The second half started perfectly for the host, as Bobb bagged the deserved opener in the 46th minute. The Uitvlugt native, raced onto a through pass inside the left of the box, before lobbing his shot over the advancing goalkeeper and into the right corner, as the crowd rose to their feet in celebrations. Wilson was then denied six minutes onward, unleashing a powerful strike from outside the box, which was parried by the diving goal-keeper to his right. The plucky Barbadians would be handed a life-line in the 65th minute, as a poor back pass fell into the path of Alan Hope, who curled a right foot shot into the left corner, with the goalkeeper badly out of position. It went from bad to worse for the host, as Hope made his presence felt once in the 73rd minute with a brilliant diving header into the roof of the net, after latching onto a wonderful left side cross. The goal emanated from a simple one-two pass combination that was not dealt with properly by Cox, in the process setting up the dramatic equaliser from Danns. Guyana will now turn their attention to the trio of the Turks and Caicos Islands, French Guiana and Belize. They will host Belize on March 2019, after travelling to the Turks and Caicos Islands and French Guiana during October and November 2018 respectively.
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Post by Admin on Sept 11, 2018 3:50:25 GMT
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Post by Admin on Sept 11, 2018 3:53:28 GMT
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Post by Admin on Sept 12, 2018 4:55:37 GMT
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Post by Admin on Sept 12, 2018 13:28:53 GMT
Herdman puts faith in Canada’s youth for Concacaf Nations Leagueassets1.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/alphonso-davies720-1040x572.jpgCanada's Alphonso Davies. (Paul Chiasson/CP) “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.” That was a familiar refrain from John Herdman when he served as coach of the Canadian women’s team, his explanation as to why he gave so many prospects a chance to cut their teeth with the senior side. Herdman relied heavily on players coming up through the national program’s youth system during his seven years in charge of the senior women’s team, a successful tenure that produced back-to-back Olympic bronze medals. The English manager made no apologies for putting his faith in young players back then, and he’s not making any apologies for it today, either. Herdman’s youth movement continues now that he’s at the helm of the men’s squad, as he has named five teenagers to his 23-man roster for Sunday’s Concacaf Nations League qualifier against the U.S. Virgin Islands in Florida. Vancouver Whitecaps star Alphonso Davies (17) is already a proven commodity and has earned six caps for Canada, while winger Liam Millar (18) of Liverpool’s under-23 team has made one appearance for the Reds. But this camp represents initial national team call-ups for goalkeeper Alessandro Busti and forward Jonathan David (both 18), and 19-year-old fullback Zachary Brault-Guillard. Defender Derek Cornelius (20) is another youngster looking to earn his first cap. Junior Hoilett on success with Cardiff, playing for Canada under Herdman September 06 2018 Drafting in these young players is part of Herdman’s long-term strategy, allowing them to gain valuable international experience so that they’ll be in a better position to help Canada by the time qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar begins. But Herdman insists it’s much more than that. It’s also about rewarding players who have earned the opportunity to play for their country, and who are in form for their pro clubs at the moment. “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough. Some of those boys are doing it for their first teams in top European leagues,” Herdman told reporters this week. According to Herdman, many of the young players in this camp are on a trajectory to play at the 2022 World Cup, should Canada qualify. One such player is Davies, who recently made headlines when he signed with German outfit Bayern Munich as part of a transfer deal that could surpass $20 million when all is said and done. Davies will finish out the current Major League Soccer season before making the move to Germany later this year. Davies was the top scorer at the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup, scoring three goals for Canada. He also won the tournament’s best young player award. Davies has three goals in six appearances for the Reds since making his debut in an international friendly last summer in Montreal against Curacao. Defender Denjan Jakovic, one of the veterans on this Canadian team, calls Davies a “special talent.” “There’s not much to say about him when a giant club like Bayern Munich comes in for you. That says it all. He’s super athletic, very fast, and his knowledge of the game for his age is impressive, and the way he reads the game. His attacking ability, one-on-one – a very special player and very bright future ahead of him,” Jakovic told Sportsnet. It’s a sentiment echoed by Herdman, who is not only impressed with Davies’ speed and tactical acumen, but also his mental game “A lot of good players I’ve worked with tend to get paralyzed by bad performances or mistakes that they make. He looks forward. That’s a great trait to have,” Herdman offered. Herdman singled out Millar for praise in his debut in a 1-0 win over New Zealand back in March, calling the Toronto native Canada’s most effective player on the day. David and Cornelius are two other young players that Herdman has high hopes for after watching them first-hand at the famous Toulon youth tournament from May to June in France. Cornelius, from Ajax, Ont., signed with by FK Javor Ivanjica of Serbia’s first division earlier this year after playing for a couple of seasons in Germany’s lower leagues. “A lot of us trust in John’s abilities to get the very best out of players, regardless of their age. He’s there to push us and prepare us for the next step. Right now, of the young guys coming in, we’re not just here to make up the numbers. We have responsibilities like everybody eels and we have to live up to them,” Cornelius told Sportsnet.
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Post by Admin on Sept 12, 2018 13:37:04 GMT
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Post by Admin on Sept 14, 2018 1:22:29 GMT
Sorting the CONCACAF nations on the road to Qatar 2022By Nicholas MendolaSep 13, 2018, 7:17 PM EDT soccer.nbcsports.com/2018/09/13/sorting-the-concacaf-nations-on-the-road-to-qatar-2022/The United States men’s national team picked up a feel-good win over Mexico on Tuesday in Nashville, and there’s no reason to feel bad about enjoying the win. Yet as general manager Earnie Stewart sorts through his options regarding the next full-time coach of the USMNT, where do the Yanks sit in the race to qualify for Qatar 2022? Yes, the World Cup is still going to Qatar. Yes, the games will be played in December in the middle of the night local time. Had to be said, again. First and foremost, assuming the World Cup stays at 32 teams in the 3+1 CONCACAF qualifying format, who are the front-runners to make the Hex? Let’s say the chalk plays out through qualifying and these 12 teams make the fourth round of qualifying. Since the Hex began for the 1998 cycle, the following nations have participated: USMNT (all), Mexico (all), Costa Rica (all), Honduras (4), Trinidad and Tobago (4), Panama (3), Jamaica (3), El Salvador (2), Guatemala (2006), Canada (1998). We still don’t know which U-20 sides will qualify for next summer’s U-20 World Cup — qualifying is in November — but the U.S. won the CONCACAF U-20 title in 2017, with Mexico winning the previous three, and Costa Rica before that. Panama were runners-up in 2015, so it’s a pretty good predictor of the pipeline. Here are the current Elo Ratings and FIFA world rankings for CONCACAF sides: Mexico — Elo 20, FIFA 16 USMNT — Elo 26, FIFA 22 Costa Rica — Elo 43, FIFA 32 Honduras — Elo 58, FIFA 61 Panama — Elo 63, FIFA 69 Jamaica — Elo 67, FIFA 54 Canada — Elo 73, FIFA 79 Guatemala — Elo 80, FIFA 146 Haiti — Elo 84, FIFA 104 El Salvador — Elo 87, FIFA 72 Trinidad and Tobago — Elo 96, FIFA 91 Curacao — Elo 132, FIFA 81 For now, we will only rank the sides who have qualified to a prior Hex, though Haiti has a chance to impress us and join in the next power rankings some time in the future. Long shots: El Salvador, Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica
Hex candidates: Panama, Canada, HondurasYes, Panama qualified for the World Cup, but it happened via a goal that never crossed the line and the poor performances of an American team that rarely showed up to work and a Honduran team which just couldn’t pull it together. Still, it’s best player at the World Cup were young: Ricardo Avila (21), Yoel Barcenas (24), and Jose Luis Rodriquez (20). Need to figure out life post-Felipe Baloy, Blas Perez, and (probably) Jaime Penedo. Honduras is going to be in the discussion due to home field advantage alone. Even when Los Catrachos aren’t shining at San Pedro Sula, they are a handful. A bit longer in the tooth than you’d like for a tournament run, young forward Alberth Elis has to join Romell Quioto, Bryan Acosta, and Anthony Lozano in taking the next step. The wild card here is Canada, which remains a green project and has new leadership in former WNT coach John Herdman. He will have a trio of teens at significant clubs when Alphonso Davies leaves Vancouver for Bayern Munich, joining Jonathan David at Gent and Liam Millar at Liverpool (Alessandro Busti is with Juventus B and Zahcary Brault-Guilard, Lyon). TFC’s Jonathan Osorio is in his prime, Cyle Larin isn’t there yet, and goalkeeper Milan Borjan starts on Red Star Belgrade. Hex participants: Costa Rica, USMNT Let’s start with the one of the bunch which played in the World Cup; Costa Rica is a difficult team to read. It will qualify for the Hex because it’s never failed to and it won’t be too old… yet. Of the 13 players to play more than 100 minutes for Los Ticos at the World Cup, only Joel Campbell and Francisco Calvo (both 26) were under the age of 28. All five players who manned all 270 minutes of the World Cup were 30 or older. The reason the United States men’s national team’s failure to qualify for Russia was considered a disaster is that the Yanks should never, ever, ever miss a World Cup given their talent and resources. Even with Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore getting on in years for their respective positions, the new manager could instantly trot out this lineup in CONCACAF and not worry about experience or age (at least not too much, and we’re not yet including Geoff Cameron): Steffen Yedlin — Miazga — Brooks — Lichaj Adams — D. Williams — McKennie Pulisic — Altidore — Wood Subs: Guzan, Acosta, Weah, Green, Bradley, Ream, Sargent The unquestioned No. 1: Mexico Sure the U.S. was missing big names Pulisic, Brooks, Cameron, Bradley, and Altidore in the 1-0 win over Mexico, but El Tri was without a whole lot more. Andres Guardado, Hector Herrera, Diego Reyes, Miguel Layun, Hector Moreno, Raul Jimenez, Carls Vela, Hirving Lozano, Chicharito (I’m just gonna stop now). Mexico’s very best players are playing for some of the best clubs in the world, and Liga MX is still plenty ahead of MLS in depth and churning out youngsters. Follow @nicholasmendola
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Post by Admin on Sept 25, 2018 1:40:52 GMT
Carlisle Utd boss salutes Hallam Hope after goalscoring Barbados debutFrontman got two goals on his first international outingwww.newsandstar.co.uk/carlisle-utd/latest/article/Carlisle-Utd-boss-salutes-Hallam-Hope-after-goalscoring-Barbados-debut-670bb667-f2b2-4324-a974-9d6678b2d390-dsBoss John Sheridan has hailed the "brilliant" start to international football made by Carlisle frontman Hallam Hope. The forward will be back in training at Brunton Park this week after scoring twice on his Barbados debut last week. Sheridan said: "It's brilliant for H and I'm chuffed to bits for him to go over there and do well. "To play for your country, it doesn’t matter who you are, it's a privilege. It's an honour for him." Hope got both Barbados goals in their 2-2 CONCACAF Nations Cup game against Guyana last Thursday night. His outing in the Caribbean saw him miss United's last two games but he is likely to return against Tranmere next Saturday.
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Post by Admin on Oct 17, 2018 5:26:36 GMT
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Post by Admin on Oct 17, 2018 5:29:54 GMT
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Post by Admin on Oct 17, 2018 5:31:17 GMT
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Post by Admin on Oct 17, 2018 5:33:18 GMT
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Post by Admin on Oct 20, 2018 1:28:35 GMT
Second National League wins for Jamaica, CubaLawrence wishes T&T were involved■ Ian Prescott ian.prescott@trinidadexpress.com CURACAO, Canada, Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba each won for the second time in 2019-2020 CONCACAF National League qualifying and are on course to secure places in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, to be played from July 6-26, in the United States, Central America and the Caribbean.
Canada beat Dominica 5-0 on Tuesday night, adding to an opening 8-0 win over U.S. Virgin Islands. Jamaica won 6-0 over Bonaire on Sunday following an opening 4-0 win over the Cayman Islands in September. Meanwhile, Cuba beat Grenada (2-0) and Turks & Caicos (11-0), while Haiti edged St Lucia 2-1 on Tuesday night, after slaughtering St Maarten 11-0 a month ago.
With two match days left, 10 teams-Canada, Jamaica, Cuba, Curacao, Haiti, St Kitts & Nevis, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Martinique--have 100 percent records and are in strong contention for the six spots to the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup and League A of the CONCACAF Nations League which begins next year. Guyana, Suriname, Aruba and Guadeloupe each have four points and are in contention as well.
By virtue of reaching the final six (Hexagonal) of CONCACAF Zone World Cup qualifying, the region's top-ranked teams--Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, USA, Panama, Honduras and Costa Rica--have all automatically qualified for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the region's top competition for national teams. The six 'Hex' teams are also automatically in the top flight (League A) of the 12-team CONCACAF Nations League. The others have to qualify.
Thirty-four (34) CONCACAF teams, including Canada, Jamaica, Haiti, El Salvador and Cuba, each play four qualifying matches between September 6, 2018 and March 26, 2019. The top six qualifiers join the six 'Hex' teams in the 12-team Gold Cup and will also play in the 12-team top flight of the CONCACAF Nations League. Teams finishing between seventh and 34th will make up groups B (16 teams) and C (12 teams) of the new Nations League.
Having declared himself having 'ambitious plans' for next year's Gold Cup, Trinidad and Tobago's men's senior team head coach Dennis Lawrence would have been happy to have four competitive matches in the buildup.
'It's a fantastic thing to be involved in,' Lawrence said recently of the Nations League qualifying series. 'It's a bit two-fold for me, because part of me says I wish we were involved at the moment, but we're not involved. We're looking forward to the Gold Cup, so we're going to use the friendlies to do it.'
Lawrence's alternative
to having competition in the build-up to the Gold Cup is playing international friendlies against United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Iran. T& T beat UAE 2-0 in Spain on September 6, lost 1-0 to Thailand in Bangkok on October 14, and will meet recent World Cup participants Iran in Tehran on November 14. 'This is all part of our process in preparing for the Gold Cup next year in July.'
CONCACAF NATIONS LEAGUE QUALIFYING RESULTS Round 2 (Oct 11-16): Canada 5 Dominica 0; Haiti 2 St Lucia 1; Guadeloupe 0 Aruba 0; Martinique 4 British Virgin Islands 0; Nicaragua 6 Anguilla 0; Bonaire 0 Jamaica 6; Montserrat 1 Belize 0; Saint Martin 0 Saint Kitts and Nevis 10; El Salvador 3 Barbados 0; Suriname 5 British Virgin Islands 0; Turks and Caicos Islands 0 Guyana 8; Puerto Rico 0 Martinique 1; Dominican Republic 3 Cayman Islands 0; Grenada 0 Cuba 2; Bermuda 12 St Maarten 0; Bahamas 0 Antigua and Barbuda 6; United States Virgin Islands 0 Curacao 5; French Guiana 0 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 Round 1 (Sept 6-11) Guadeloupe 3 Saint Martin 0; Curacao 10 Grenada 0; Haiti 13 St Maarten 0; Jamaica 4 Cayman Islands 0; Saint Kitts and Nevis 1 Puerto Rico 0; Aruba 3 Bermuda 1; Bonaire 0 Dominican Republic 5; United States Virgin Islands Canada 8; Montserrat 1 El Salvador 2; Cuba 11 Turks and Caicos Islands 0; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0 Nicaragua 2; Belize 4 Bahamas 0; Antigua and Barbuda0 Saint Lucia 3; Anguilla 0 French Guiana 5; Guyana 2 Barbados 2; Dominica 0 Suriname 0
FRIENDLY FIRE: Thailand's Thitipan Puangchan shoots at goal between Trinidad and Tobago defenders Triston Hodge, left, and Sheldon Bateau, during Sunday's friendly international, in Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand won 1-0.
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Post by Admin on Mar 27, 2019 1:48:49 GMT
Minnows Bermuda gain historic berth as CONCACAF Gold Cup slate confirmedBy Staff Reporter - March 25, 2019 067 Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Bermudian striker Nahki Wells. BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, ,( CMC) – Minnows Bermuda reached the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the first time in their history when they came from behind to beat the Dominican Republic, while Haiti and Cuba also confirmed their spot among the 10 qualifiers, on the final night of Nations League qualifying on Sunday. In Santiago De Los Caballeros, Bermuda trounced the hosts 3-1 to finish fifth in the standings on nine points and book their place in the newly-expanded 16-team format of the continental championship from June 15 to July 7 this year. Bermuda suffered an early setback when Enmy Pena scored in the third minute to put the hosts ahead but United States-based winger Zeiko Lewis drew the visitors level 12 minutes later. With scores locked at the half-time whistle, England-based striker Nahki Wells gave Bermuda the lead in the 64th minute before Justin Donawa added the security goal in the 74th. At the Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince, hosts Haiti edged Cuba 2-1 but both teams still progressed, despite the result. Scottish Premiership striker Duckens Nazon handed the hosts a 26th minute lead which held until the break, before Luis Paradela equalised in the 61st minute. However, Kevin Lafrance got the decisive goal three minutes from the end to snatch the points for Haiti and leave them top of the standings on 12 points. Cuba, meanwhile, finished sixth on nine points. In Vancouver, Lucas Cavallini netted a brace as Canada beat French Guiana 4-1 to finish second on 12 points while Central American nation Nicaragua edged Barbados 1-0 in Bridgetown to end ninth and also secure qualification. Grenada and Bonaire were also in winners row but their points were of academic value. The five teams joined Guyana, Curacao, El Salvador, Jamaica and Martinique who had already qualified over the weekend. Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and United States gained automatic qualification after having participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final qualifying round.
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Post by Admin on Mar 27, 2019 1:51:24 GMT
Danns, Welshman send Guyana to the ‘Gold Cup’!By Rawle Toney - March 23, 2019 02052 Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Golden Jaguars Captain Sam Cox celebrates! ..take out Belize 2-1 at the National Track and Field Centre last night FOR the first time in the country’s history, Guyana will play at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, thanks to goals from Neil Danns and Emery Welshman which lifted the Golden Jaguars to a 2 – 1 win over Belize last night at the National Track and Field Centre in Leonora. Watched by almost 5,000 football-crazed fans, Danns scored in the 16th minute when he converted from the penalty spot, while Welshman’s goal was seen as the ‘game-winner’, given the fact that Belize’s Elroy Kuylen equalized in the 25th minute, before the Canadian-based Guyanese found the back of the net in the 43rd minute. Defender Ronayne Marsh-Brown and Neil Danns in tears with the ‘Golden Arrow Head’ following their 2 – 1 win over Belize to advance to the Gold Cup Head Coach Michael Johnson started with Akel Clarke in goal, but surprised almost everyone with his tactical gamble of playing Kadell Daniels in the left-back position; a gamble which paid off, since the Dover Athletic midfielder was outstanding in the position. Ronayne-Marsh Brown teamed up with his younger brother, Keanu-Marsh Brown, along with Elliot Bonds, Captain Samuel Cox, Welshman, Terrence Vancooten, Danns, Callum Harriott and Anthony Jeffrey in the starting line-up. Danns was tasked with giving Guyana the go-ahead after Newport County’s Keanu-Marsh Brown was brought down in the ‘18’ in his attempt to latch onto a pass from Welshman. Pandemonium broke out in the stands as fans celebrated the goal, but it was short-lived, as Kuylen curled a well-placed free-kick to the top right corner of the net from about 22-yards out from goal, leaving Guyana’s Akel Clarke stunned. Fans flooded the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora to support the Golden Jaguars Danns would later have a chance to make it 2 – 1 but, when he stepped to the penalty spot to take a conversion after Welshman was brought down in the ‘box’, the Belize keeper this time went the correct side to deny the Guyanese. Welshman, just before half-time, connected on a Callum Harriott shot that was saved and did nothing wrong when he let loose a powerful right-footed volley that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Bolton Wanderers’ Stephen Duke-McKenna, Caledonia United’s Sheldon Holder and MLS side Philadelphia Unions’ Warren Creavalle then entered the game, replacing Danns, Vancooten and Keanu-Marsh Brown as the substitution used by Johnson. At the end of the 90 minutes, the facility at Leonora was flooded with tears, as the players and fans huddled at centre field, and celebrated the country’s Gold Cup berth, following in the footsteps of the Lady Jags who had reached the women’s Gold Cup in 2010.
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