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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Reggae Girlz fine-tune for Women's Gold Cup</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>BY Livingston Scott Observer staff reporter
Sunday, October 29, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>Jamaica's quest for a place in the 2007 Women's World Cup final is on in earnest, and coach Vin Blaine is working overtime to ensure his squad is prepared for the November 19-26 Gold Cup final.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The top two teams will qualify automatically for the Finals in China, while the third-placed team will play off against Japan for the other spot.<P class=StoryText align=justify>According to Blaine, who just returned from a two-week FIFA instructors' course in Trinidad & Tobago, he is looking to significantly improve the Reggae Girlz's physical condition before the tournament "The Girlz are presently doing gym work and they have been doing that for the past three, four weeks. We go into camp on Tuesday and will stay until we depart for Miami... by the 13th of November," Blaine said.
"...We want to concentrate on some slight endurance work for the first week... before we go into some speed training," he said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>He said they intend to do most of the tactical work in Miami when the overseas-based players join the squad.
"When we get to Miami... we'll be joined by the four or five players who are based overseas. And that's why we wanted to go early so we could get enough time... go over certain areas that we need to improve on before we play Panama or Canada," he added.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Although the squad that qualified for the Gold Cup is virtually unchanged, Blaine says he plans for two new inclusions.
"It's the same squad, but we'll be inviting two players in Hiroshima Falconer and Audrea Sutherland," he said.
The versatile Falconer is already an international at both junior and senior levels and the Lindsay Wilson College student is expected to add some experience to the squad.
Striker Sutherland is a former Maverley/Hughenden player and a team-mate to Alicia Wilson at University of West Florida for the past three seasons. She should also enhance the team's attack.<P class=StoryText align=justify>And though there are no major obstacles hampering the team's preparations at the moment, the meticulous Blaine believes more work could have been done to improve the team's cutting edge.
"I'm never pleased and the preparation is a bit slow. But we have always done it. I always knew this was going to be an adversity, but... it has strengthened us.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I'm pleased with the level of talent that we have, and with proper preparation I'm hoping we can take it through," he said.
The format of the competition has changed from former years when the top two teams from the two groups advanced to the last four.<P class=StoryText align=justify>This year the United States and Canada have both received byes into the semi-finals and await the winners of two play-off games. Jamaica face Panama in a one-off match, from which the winners will advance to the semi-finals against Canada.
The winners of the Mexico vs Trinidad & Tobago match will tackle the USA in the other semi-final.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Being just two matches away from their first FIFA Women's football finals, Blaine believes it's their destiny to reach next year's tournament.
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""If we win two games we are in the World Cup... and our chances look very good," he declared. "We're very confident... from the last Under-20 tournament we realised we're pretty close to them (Canada and USA).
"The girls are very confident now playing against Canada and I think we got the kind of draw that we would have wanted," he noted.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I had a slight notion that we would have gotten Panama and then Canada, and it has worked out that way. The draw has bee
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>BY Livingston Scott Observer staff reporter
Sunday, October 29, 2006
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>Jamaica's quest for a place in the 2007 Women's World Cup final is on in earnest, and coach Vin Blaine is working overtime to ensure his squad is prepared for the November 19-26 Gold Cup final.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The top two teams will qualify automatically for the Finals in China, while the third-placed team will play off against Japan for the other spot.<P class=StoryText align=justify>According to Blaine, who just returned from a two-week FIFA instructors' course in Trinidad & Tobago, he is looking to significantly improve the Reggae Girlz's physical condition before the tournament "The Girlz are presently doing gym work and they have been doing that for the past three, four weeks. We go into camp on Tuesday and will stay until we depart for Miami... by the 13th of November," Blaine said.
"...We want to concentrate on some slight endurance work for the first week... before we go into some speed training," he said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>He said they intend to do most of the tactical work in Miami when the overseas-based players join the squad.
"When we get to Miami... we'll be joined by the four or five players who are based overseas. And that's why we wanted to go early so we could get enough time... go over certain areas that we need to improve on before we play Panama or Canada," he added.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Although the squad that qualified for the Gold Cup is virtually unchanged, Blaine says he plans for two new inclusions.
"It's the same squad, but we'll be inviting two players in Hiroshima Falconer and Audrea Sutherland," he said.
The versatile Falconer is already an international at both junior and senior levels and the Lindsay Wilson College student is expected to add some experience to the squad.
Striker Sutherland is a former Maverley/Hughenden player and a team-mate to Alicia Wilson at University of West Florida for the past three seasons. She should also enhance the team's attack.<P class=StoryText align=justify>And though there are no major obstacles hampering the team's preparations at the moment, the meticulous Blaine believes more work could have been done to improve the team's cutting edge.
"I'm never pleased and the preparation is a bit slow. But we have always done it. I always knew this was going to be an adversity, but... it has strengthened us.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I'm pleased with the level of talent that we have, and with proper preparation I'm hoping we can take it through," he said.
The format of the competition has changed from former years when the top two teams from the two groups advanced to the last four.<P class=StoryText align=justify>This year the United States and Canada have both received byes into the semi-finals and await the winners of two play-off games. Jamaica face Panama in a one-off match, from which the winners will advance to the semi-finals against Canada.
The winners of the Mexico vs Trinidad & Tobago match will tackle the USA in the other semi-final.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Being just two matches away from their first FIFA Women's football finals, Blaine believes it's their destiny to reach next year's tournament.
a
""If we win two games we are in the World Cup... and our chances look very good," he declared. "We're very confident... from the last Under-20 tournament we realised we're pretty close to them (Canada and USA).
"The girls are very confident now playing against Canada and I think we got the kind of draw that we would have wanted," he noted.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I had a slight notion that we would have gotten Panama and then Canada, and it has worked out that way. The draw has bee