The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

When our under-17 girls national soccer team heads to Guatemala City to play in the CONCACAF Championships, they will have to play the United States in the opening match on Thursday.

But head coach Daria Adderley said she's not too concerned because the team got their spiritual blessing from Pastor Raymond Wells of Living Waters Kingdom Ministries on Sunday.

"His whole homily was geared towards us. He was talking about the David and Goliath syndrome," Adderley said. "The US is like Goliath and we are like David. Little David conquered Goliath because of the will and the passion that he had and the desire to do something, even though the giant was way bigger than him. He told us that as long as we stick to our game plan, stick to it and display our passion and desire, anything is possible in making the giant USA fall," Adderley said.

She noted that over the last few weeks since their return from Jamaica, she has seen a passion, commitment and dedication in the players that she never saw before. The team, managed by Karen Green, is scheduled to leave town today and will be made up of the following players:

• Taj Dorsett - a 13-year-old 5-6 right center defender from the Cavalier Football Club and a 9th grader at St Augustine's College

• Sheryl Evans - a 16-year-old 5-7 goal keeper from the Bears Football Club and 11th grader at Temple Christian Academy

• Amari Bethel - a 15-year-old 5-2 defender from the Bears Football Club and a 10th grader at St Andrew's School

• Dawn Dean - a 15-year-old 5-2 forward from the Bears Football Club and a 9th grader at St Augustine's College

• Lian Haven - a 13-year-old defender from the Cavalier Football Club and an 8th grader at Queen's College

• Joya Smith - a 16-year-old 5-3 forward from the Bears Football Club and a 12th grader from Temple Christian

• Lauren Haven - a 17-year-old 5-8 midfielder from the Cavalier Football Club and a 12th grader at Queen's College

• Kennadi Green - a 15-year-old 5-8 1/2 left winger who is in the 9th grader at Waggener High School

• Cori Strachan - a 16-year-old 5-9 goal keeper from the Cavalier Football Club and a 12th grader at St Anne's High School

• Shelby Green - a 16-year-old 5-6 defender and an 11th grader at Waggener High School

• Lindsay Seymour - a 14-year-old 4-11 defender from the Cavalier Football Club and a 10th grader at St Anne's School

• Tate Cuffy - a 13-year-old 5-1 midfielder from the Cavalier Football Club and an 8th grader at Queen's College

• Keisha McCartney - a 15-year-old 5-5 forward from the Cavalier Football Club and a 9th grader at St Andrew's School

• Dena Ingraham - a 16-year-old midfielder from the Cavalier Football Club and an 11th grader at Kingsway Academy

• Raunice Butler - a 17-year-old 5-5 right winger from the United Football Club and a 12th grader at RM Bailey

• Clayre Saunders - a 16-year-old 5-4 1/2 wing/midfielder who play for the CSMRO in Montreal, Canada, where she is an 11th grader at St Ex

• Akwah Thompson - a 14-year-old 5-8 forward from the Cavalier Football Club and a 10th grader at St Anne's School

• Shekhinah Wells - a 14-year-old 4-9 1/2 forward who is in the 9th grade at Queen's College

• Jodei Clarke - a 17-year-old 4-11 left midfield/left back from the United Football Club and a 12th grader at CR Walker High School

• Eden Taylor - a 15-year-old 5-2 midfielder from the IM Bears and a 10th grader at St Andrew's School

The team will be pooled with the USA, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago, whom they are expected to play in that order on Thursday (4pm), Saturday (6:30pm) and Monday (4pm) respectively. All of the games are expected to be shown live on www.concacaf.com

The tournament serves as the final round of qualifying for the World Cup finals that will be held in Azerbaijan in October. The Bahamas would have to be one of the top three finishers in Guatemala to move on.

"For us to get to the World Cup final, we will have to be very organised," Adderley said. "The USA is a great team, they're well organised, they have been playing for years. But I don't want the girls to be overshadowed by them because although this is our first time being in the CONCACAF Championships, if we play with the heart and commitment that they have been putting into practice, we will be okay."

The Bahamas booked its trip to Guatemala to play in the eight team two-pool field when they went to Jamaica and finished third behind Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica.

In the first round, the Bahamas advanced with a victory over the visiting Antigua and Barbuda here at the Roscoe Davies National Development Center at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

"We played in a few tournaments and we traveled to play in a few friendly matches and we also had about three games against the under-17 boys team who will be traveling in July," Adderley said. So I think the things we had to change coming from Jamaica, like the organisational structure, we did and our spirit level has gone up tremendously. So I think this team is ready."

Although this is a mammoth tournament for the team, considering that nobody has ever competed at this level, Adderley said she anticipates that they will be nervous at first.

"But I'm going to have to let them know that regardless of whatever happens or whatever team you are playing, everybody is playing their own soccer and they don't know how we play, so we just have to stick to our game plan and play what we normally play. If we do that, stay focused and play from the heart, I think we will actually surprise some people and do very well in the tournament."