The architect behind Jamaica’s progress in the Women’s World Cup Lorne Donaldson

ByIanBurnett

Jamaica’s national women ’ s team head coach, Lorne Donaldson, had told FIFA that his Reggae Girlz would go toe-to-toe with rivals in Group F of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and try to get out of the group and make all hell break loose

Three games in and not only are the Jamaicans one of only three teams not to concede a goal, but the Caribbean’s top team created history by becoming the first team from the region to qualify for the Round of 16 at any World Cup Tournament

That result booted Brazil at the group stage, a first such failure in six cycles

But how did the 43rd-ranked Reggae Girlz defy the odds and secure a place among the top 16 teams at the end of the group stage?

The answer is simple Lorne Donaldson!

It appears it was divine intervention

In early 2020, Donaldson, then interim head coach of the Reggae Girlz senior team, resigned from all duties relating to the women ’ s football programme

He said his decision was primarily based on the questionable integrity and lack of professionalism within the leadership of the JFF

He had been an assistant coach to Hue Menzies when the Reggae Girlz first qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019 in France

But in June 2022, he returned to the head coach’s role with the Reggae Girlz after the players had written to the JFF leadership expressing serious concerns with the training methods and competence of then head coach Vin Blaine, who eventually resigned

“It was a tough decision If you ask my wife, she would’ve said, ‘what are you doing?’ because I’ve been involved since 2015 and in 2019 I stepped out of it

“But I decided to step back into the job and try and help the girls I did it because of the country and because of the girls It has nothing to do with me My wife wasn;t very happy at the time, but I think now she’s ok!” he had told FIFA

Now residing in Denver, Colorado, Donaldson started his playing career as an astute defender at Kingston College in Jamaica’s popular schoolboy football competition

He graduated to one of the premier senior team clubs in the country, Cavalier Soccer Club, where he played in the nation’s top-flight competition

The defender also played senior international football for Jamaica between 1975 and 1979

In 1980 he entered the Metropolitan State University in Denver where he was considered one of the greatest players in their history after playing three years to 1982 During that period he was an All-American player He earned his degree in Physical Education and at the end of his college playing career, he served his school as assistant coach for three years from 1983 to 1985

Donaldson became the first soccer player to be inducted into the Metropolitan State University Hall of Fame in 1995 But that was just the start of his service to football, particularly in the United States of America

He would transition into coaching as a player/coach for the Denver Kickers and pro team, the Colorado Foxes and after successful stints with both, including two APSL National Championships with the Colorado Foxes, Donaldson started investing his time in youth soccer, specifically with Douglas County Blast, later Real Colorado in 1997

Because of his vision and leadership, that entity has grown to be regularly considered one of the top 20 clubs in the USA and a pioneer in the US Soccer Development Academy and Elite Clubs National League

He was the co-founder of the Black Soccer Coaches Association of America, helping to bring African and Caribbean players and coaches a better understanding of the American football culture

He has been an accomplished instructor with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for over many years and was inducted into the Colorado Youth Soccer Hall of Fame for his outstanding achievement in youth soccer

Donaldson has worked with many top players in his career, including Carlos Valderrama, Marcela Balboa, John Spencer, Tiafour Diane, Robin Frazer, Raul Diaz Arce, Pablo Mastrioni, Mark Chung, Jeff Hooker, Kyle Beckerman, Chris Henderson, Ted Eck, Chris Martinez, Tom Stone, Tom Soehn, Chad Ashton and Jamaican players such as Walter Boyd, Fabian Davis, Wolde Harris, Greg Messam, Chris Dawes and Anthony McCreath

With such a resume, it’s hardly any surprise then that his Reggae Girlz have been so stingy at the back, keeping the feared France and Brazil at bay

Unfortunately the 2023 World Cup dream has ended for the Reggae Girlz after their narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the second round But, nonetheless Donaldson and the Reggae Girlz have made a nation proud, with a fitting gift to Jamaica on its independence day by making history in the World Cup

PM Holness asserts Jamaica’s local elections set for February 2024

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Thursday announced that the long-delayed local government elections would be held in February 2024

Holness reassured the public during a press briefing, expressing the government’s commitment to upholding the constitutional requirements concerning the local government elections