Former Jamaica National Senior Women’s Team Assistant Coach Lorne Donaldson has cited the need for urgency in getting the Reggae Girlz house in order ahead of next month’s CONCACAF Women’s Championship.
“I spoke with the president (Michael Ricketts) this morning (Wednesday) and just told him that I accept and I’ll come out and try to do my best and see what we can get out of this tournament,” Donaldson said.
He added: “I think it will be positive, I think the girls are eager to go, but obviously it’s late.”
Despite having just about a month to put the team in place ahead of the start of the final qualifying tournament in Mexico, Donaldson, a member of the Hue Menzies-led technical staff when the Reggae Girlz made their historic France 2019 FIFA World Cup Finals appearance, is of the view that there is enough quality in the group to make it possible, though fitness is his main concern at the moment, with some many of the girls being out of competition.
“It is going to be the main concern, so we have to make sure that everybody comes in fit.”
Another huge concern is the appointment of his backroom staff.
“I had another conversation with the president and it was with the staff. It’s going to be important, the backroom staff is going to be very important, that’s going to be the most crucial thing. You got to get staff who understands where we are at right now, and who can work efficiently and collectively to bring this group together, so that has to be done ASAP,” he noted.
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) announced Donaldson as the man to take over from Blaine in a release on Wednesday.
In a release, it said the executive of the JFF has decided that the former Colorado Rapids head coach was the best man to lead the Girlz into the World Cup Qualifiers.
“We looked at all the dynamics involved, including the short period to prepare, and agreed that Lorne brings specific advantages to the position including familiarity with regional football culture and knowledge of the players and is well placed to navigate the team through what will be a difficult qualifying exercise,” explained Ricketts.
He added: “The JFF will give all the necessary support to him and the team and we are confident that they will make Jamaica proud in Mexico.”
The release further stated that the backroom staff will be named soon.
CNW Network has been reliably informed that the JFF Technical and Development Committee had recommended to its executive that Englishman Jonathan Morgan be appointed for the top job, ahead of Donaldson, though the former had recently been hired by Burnley Football Club to coach their women’s senior team.
However, the executive was concerned about the short preparation time and Morgan’s unfamiliarity with the players and the culture of football in the region.
Donaldson, on the other hand, had already enjoyed a close relationship with the players over a number of years, knows the region very well, but it is said that the executives had contemplated asking him for an apology for questioning the JFF’s integrity and professionalism when he quit the team in January 2021, shortly after Menzies had parted ways in December 2020.
The CONCACAF Women’s Championship takes place in Monterrey, Mexico from July 4 through to 18, with the Jamaicans drawn in a tough Group A alongside hosts Mexico, World Champions USA and Caribbean powerhouse Haiti.
The Reggae Girlz open against Mexico on July 4, oppose USA on July 7, before completing their group fixtures on July 11 against Haiti.
Group B consists of Canada, Costa Rica, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.
Mexico is known for its high altitude and Donaldson is hoping that the JFF can find a suitable location for his charges to acclimatize.
“I know the US has started training at high altitude in Colorado and Salt Lake and that’s the most experienced team in the world, so if they are training at altitude we have to look at something (similar) and try and find a place where there is a little altitude that we can get a little training in, and the setup has to be good, a place where we can get a scrimmage or a few practice games in the meantime to look at certain things,” he said.
The top two teams from the two groups will qualify directly to the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia next year, while the third-placed teams will qualify for the inter-continental play-offs.
In addition, the group winners will qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games and the 2024 CONCACAF Gold Cup, while the second and third-placed teams will advance to the CONCACAF Olympic Games play-off.
