Momentous win for girl’s U17 football team
(CNS): Minister of Sport Mark Scotland has congratulated the U17 Women’s Football Team on their momentous win last weekend (Saturday, 12 December). “By becoming the first-ever national football team to make it to the second round of the World Cup qualifiers, they have firmly played their way into the history books,” he said. The Caymanian team will now go on to their first final of the CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Under-17 Women’s Championship, scheduled for San Jose, Costa Rica from 9 to 20 March.
Minister Scotland said, “It was a nail-biting match, but their hard work, dedication and perseverance certainly paid off. I applaud Coach Bobby McLaren and the Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) Women’s Technical Director Thiago Cunha for standing by their team through thick and thin, and for teaching the players to compete with enthusiasm and win with grace. “I also commend the CIFA for always demonstrating an unwavering belief in our young football players.
“Above all, the weekend’s win proves once again that Cayman’s athletes have the talent and resolve to make their mark on the sports arena, both locally and further afield. I wish the team the best of luck in all their future games as they are heading to the CONCACAF Under 17 Women’s Championships next March in Costa Rica. Let us all support them as they prepare with this event, especially as they will be up against the defending champions, the United States, hosts Costa Rica, and Haiti.”
Coach Bobby McLaren from Jamaica and technical director of the National women’s programme, Brazilian Thiago Cunha, worked together in bringing the Under-17s to a level proficiency that has brought them this far, the Jamaica Observer reports. Not only have they stressed that girls do well on the field of play, but have ensured that they concentrated on their academics.
"I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity by CIFA (Cayman Islands Football Association) to coach these players. They truly are an amazing team," McLaren told the Observer.
Category: Sports
But I am understanding that this U17 girls programme is not being supported by CIFA or the Ministry and that the girls have not played in a year because there is no U17 girls league this year.
In addition, these girls are only scrimmaging against each other because the mens and boys teams and leagues are given priority for the fields and facilities.
???
Please tell me thats not so! CNS – get on it and update us on the girls’ preparations for their world cup qualifyers.
CNS please leave this article on the front page untill after the Christmas holidays,the attendance at that game was over 1500 people,now that the holidays are here people will find more time to post about this wonderful girls team of ours.If you put it on the following page people wont notice or bother to look for it,CNS i personally want to say thanks to you and may you have a good christmas and a blessed 2010.thanks alot……..
CNS note: Thanks we appreciate that. We’ll try to make it stay for a wee while longer seeing how you asked so nicely!
I have read this article so many times and each time I get goosebumps. I am so proud of this team coming out of such a small country. It is absolutely awesome. There is a lot of hard work and training ahead and I am sure the girls will put in the time and effort. They are an awesome bunch of teenage girls who are always embarking on improving themselves. Lets continue to support them Cayman!
I am so proud!
CNS you should be ashamed of yourself for posting any negative comments on this article. Do you not have any morals?
Don’t shoot the messenger.
What a beautiful Saturday night it was,our good ole home of Cayman football,the Annex was alive with our national football colours and full of good vibes and energy.Good to see Cayman in unity,i saw Jamaicans,Hondurans,Brits,West Bayers,George Towners and other caymanians,old and young all dressed in red supporting our young female footballers.It was just awesome,i still get goose bumps when i think back to that wonderful evening.Hope to see our girls in more action soon before going off to Costa Rica.
I have been a fan of local football for more than 30 years now and i must admit that i am impressed with the way our U-17 girls is performing.The technical abilities of these young girls is awesome especially after only playing the sport for less than 5 years.CIFA along with the ministry of sports must now ensure that resources are in place so that our young female warriors are properly prepared.Going up against regional powerhouse USA and football mad Costa Rica won’t be easy,but i am positive that once this team is ready an upset or two will be in our favour.This team is going to be deadly at the U-20 and senior level,the unity and humility amongst them is what or egotistic young male footballers is lacking.Good luck to our young female ballers and i am looking forward to travelling to Costa Rica to support you all.
As a Caribbean nation, we should also be proud of the fact that there are 4 islands being represented in Costa Rica….Cayman, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad outnumbering the South Americans. Shows that women’s football is on the rise in the Caribbean. Please keep supporting them CIFA. There are alot of younger players out there heading down the same path.
Go Cayman
All I heard at the game was whispers of "birth right". Get over this eligibility nonsense and support them. Our Cayman girls are the awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for all you do Coach Bobby and Coach Thiago. Costa Rica here we come.
Educate youself. Pages 62 – 64
http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/federation/01/24/fifa_statutes_072008_en.pdf
Thank you CNS for reporting on this properly. The Compass report on this was ridiculous. They repeatedly reported that our under-17 girls had qualifed for "the World Cup" with no clarification any where in the article. Undoubtedly this has misled many local people into thinking the team qualified for the women’s World Cup (adults) rather then the Under-17 Women’s World Cup. There is a big difference.
We should all be proud of these young women. Qualifying for the U-17 World Cup is no easy feat, particularly given the small size of our country.
We should all get behind these remarkable Caymanians!
So what’s wrong with Mr. Scott sending a shout out to Shennell? I’m sure he feels just as proud as you are when it comes to the entire team but he has the right to express his feelings about this outstanding young lady from his home turf. As another poster wrote, lets take this time to pay tribute to the girls’ success and wish them all the best.
I totally agree! Everyone has a right to express what he/she feels. Lets take the time to be positive, there is no room in this article for any petty stuff. Congrats to the entire team and their coaches for such a big accomplishment!!!! Keep on shining Bracker, you have made us all proud as well, especially for not living on grand Cayman. We need to encourage these young women, give them the support they need.
Congratulations to the U17 girls team!! I only hope now that CIFA and all those involved with football in Cayman will give the girls the support and backing that they need, because as they can see it is the girls who did us proud, and not the men who gets all the support from the association.
Once again a BIG CONGRATS to the girls!!
Congrats to the team…any plans for a charter to Costa Rica so that Caymanians can support the team?
Hooray and BIG UPS to the U17 Team and their Coach!! Cayman let’s take afew moments from our usual criticisms and pay tribute tho this success. Our girls exhibited professionialism and hard work to achieve this victory and their Coach displayed true mentorship and encouragement.
Team, you have done us proud, continue on this excellent trend. Cayman, let’s continue to show our visible support as it is essential to the morale of the Team.
I went to that game and I was soooo proud of our Caymanian girls! CONGRATULATIONS to you all…to the coaches, Cunha and McLaren, the Managers, CIFA and the Ministry of Sports! You all made Cayman proud! It is great to see something so positive involving young people on our island. Keep up the good work and continue to blaze the trail in football!!!
Costa Rica here we come!!!
Lets hear it for our BRACA Shennell!!!!!!!!!!!
Here comes the division –
Why not, "lets hear it for our Cayman team?"
Thats for u all to do
Lets hear it for the other 10 Grand Cayman girls as well.
Next you’ll just be congratulating the dark girls. In fact why not inspect their passports to ensure they are not ‘paper caymanians’
You are such a idiot! Everyone has a right to what they want to say. Grow up and do something better with your time. It’s quite clear you do not have a life!