The Cayman girls under-14 national football team recently completed a productive 10-day training tour in the Dominican Republic.
This trip was a crucial part of their preparations for the upcoming Caribbean Football Union (CFU) under-14 Girls’ Challenge Series, set to kick off in Trinidad & Tobago from 15-24 Aug.
During the tour, the squad played four friendly U14 matches against both national and club teams:
• Dominican Republic defeated Cayman Islands 6-0
• Cayman Islands drew 4-4 with Dominican Republic
• Match 3: Cayman Islands secured a 2-0 victory over SD Colonial
• Match 4: Cayman Islands drew 3-3 with Club Real Deportivo
The team demonstrated significant growth throughout the week, recovering from an initial loss to go undefeated in their subsequent three matches, the Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) said in a press release.
Martha Godet, CIFA women’s technical director, said in a statement, “This tour was an important step in preparing our girls both mentally and physically for regional competition. We’re grateful to our sponsors and proud of the commitment these young athletes have shown.”
The experience was valuable for the coaching staff, allowing them to refine tactics, foster team chemistry, and assess player performance in anticipation of next month’s CFU Challenge Series.
The Cayman squad has been diligently preparing since last September for this Series with up to three weekly training sessions.
The CFU Challenge Series will feature 23 member associations across two tiers.
Tier I will feature two groups, each comprising four teams, with Tier II containing three groups of five teams each.
The Cayman Islands has been drawn into Tier II, Group C, alongside Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Guyana.
A round-robin format will see all teams in each group play one another. This will determine the three group winners, who will then proceed to the Tier II semifinals.
The second-place team with the most points across the three groups will also qualify.
Last month, Alexander Gonzalez, head coach, said that “expectations are very high” for the girls in this series.
“Our goal is to win our group or finish second and guarantee our presence in the semifinals with a chance of winning the championship,” Gonzalez said.
