The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup is underway, and UF is represented by a current player and three former Gators. Forward and rising junior Deanne Rose, along with UF alum Adriana Leon, are representing the Canadian national team in Group E. Meanwhile in Group C, former Gators Lauren Silver and Havana Solaun are representing Jamaica.
The Jamaican National Team, nicknamed the ‘Reggae Girlz,’ was celebrated when they qualified for the World Cup for the first time in the country’s history. Unfortunately, the honeymoon has ended for the underdog squad.
Jamaica has yet to score a goal in its first two games, losing its first match to Brazil 3-0 and being routed by Italy 5-0.
Solaun, who played at UF from 2011 to 2014, has played 162 minutes and made three attempts in her first two games. Silver played during the same time period at UF as Solaun and has only seen 14 minutes of action for Jamaica.
UF soccer coach Becky Burleigh has coached all four players competing and anticipated that her former players would face adversity in their first World Cup appearance.
“I think for both of them they both had to deal with a lot of adversity in different ways while they were a part of our team,” Burleigh said in an interview with WRUF. “I think both of them showed a lot of resilience and perseverance throughout their careers, and I think they had to have that to get to the World Cup because it was not an easy path for Jamaica either and for either of them to get on the team as well.”
The two former Gators and their team have struggled in their first two outings and they’ll need to show some resilience when they face Australia today at 3 p.m.
The Canadian National Team could not have had a more different start. Canada has won its first two games and has yet to allow a single goal.
Canada defeated Cameroon 1-0 in its first game of the World Cup, then followed it up with a 2-0 win against New Zealand.
Rose has only played 15 minutes throughout the first two matches, while Leon has played a meager six minutes. Leon played one season at UF in 2012 and also played for Canada’s 2015 FIFA World Cup team.
The Canadian National Team will face off against the Netherlands on Thursday at noon.
Follow Joseph Salvador on Twitter @JSalvador_14 and contact him at jsalvador@alligator.org.
UF forward Deanne Rose has only played 15 minutes combined in the Canadian National Team’s two games thus far at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
