As of Monday, September 25, 2023
#By Brent Stubbs
#Senior Sports Reporter
#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
#AFTER playing to a draw in the rst half, the Bahamas women’s national soccer team watched as Grenada managed to pull away in the second half for a 4-1 victory to complete a two-game sweep in their home-and-away match in the Concacaf Road to Gold Cup.
#Grenada, coming off a 6-1 win over the Bahamas on Wednesday at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, pulled off the clincher yesterday at the Kirani James National Stadium in Grenada behind the hat trick from Nia Thompson.
#Thompson booted in her first goal in the 11th minute before Janeka Edley got the equaliser for the Bahamas in the 42nd minute. Tied at the half, Melonia Fullerton got the insurance goal in the 47th minute before Thompson delighted the home crowd with her final two goals in the 55th and 72nd minutes to seal the deal.
#With just about four months to prepare Team Bahamas, head coach Ricqea Bain said the losses are all a part of their growing process.
#“We were able to secure a tie in the first half. We came out strong and we were able to leave the half at 1-1,” said Bain after the game. “We were able to cut down the scoring deficit a bit.”
#Looking at the performances of the two games played, the first for the Bahamas women’s national team at the international level in about three decades, Bain said she liked what she saw and is confident that there’s a bright future for Team Bahamas.
#“We’re a young team. We had some downfalls and we had some great moments that we can build on. We just need to continue to build as a team.”
#From their performances, Bain said the turn for success is not too far away.
#“We know that with hard work and dedication, we can compete and we will be able to secure a win soon,” she stated.
#As the team prepares to come home and go back to the drawing board, Bain said they will take a few days off before they start preparing for their next match against the US Virgin Islands in St Croix on October 29.
#Team Bahamas is lined up in League C and Group C with just two other teams, Grenada and US Virgin Islands. While Grenada was successful in their two matches against Team Bahamas, the US Virgin Islands have their work cut out, facing both Grenada and Team Bahamas.
#Only the top team in each group will advance in the Gold Cup round of competition.
#“We have a short amount of time once again before we play again, but we look to go there and hopefully secure our first win,” Bain stated. “We just have to continue pushing and put in the work to get ready for that match.”
#The difficulty for Bain and the coaching staff assembled by the Bahamas Football Association is not sure who will be available as the collegiates could be playing in their conference and national championships at the same time in the United States.
#“We will reach out to everyone and see who is available, but we won’t know until we get closer to the match because of the commitments to school for some of our players,” Bain said.
#“But we are confident that we will be able to field a team that will be very competitive with the goal of winning our first match.”
#The tram is due to leave Grenada today en route to the US where players heading to school will make their way to their various destinations, while everybody else will return home.
#“We want to thank everyone for their support,” Bain said. “We want them to continue to support us as we grow and continue our journey.”