(CIFA) Cayman Islands Women’s national team defender Sophia Dilbert is confident they can advance from the opening round of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Women’s Championship in Turks and Caicos.

Dilbert and the Cayman Islands national team opened their Group three campaign against St Kitts & Nevis on Friday, May 23 at the Turks and Caicos Football Association National Academy.

“I am confident we will be successful, Dilbert told Cayman Football.com. “We are putting the best foot forward with the intention of winning.”

Along with St Kitts and Nevis, Cayman tackles home team Turks and Caicos and Bermuda on their quest to advance to the Caribbean Football Union Final round of qualifiers scheduled for August in Trinidad and Tobago.

At 42 years old, Dilbert is the team’s older player, a characteristic not easily revealed at first glance; but more striking is her commitment to personal excellence on and off the field.

“Colloquially they call me ‘old foot’ (laughs) but they do look up to me.”

A mother of two, Dilbert is Director of Fiduciary Services with world renowned Financial Services firm, while still marshalling the defence for Sunset FC, the reigning Cayman Islands Women’s Club Champions.

On and off the pitch, one common duty for Dilbert is responsibility, a role she relishes with the national team.

“I am here to support and reassure the girls in any way I can.”

Even if that means correcting her teammates in a maternal fashion.

“On the pitch it’s difficult, you try to be positive and reassuring but off the pitch I reprimand and speak with them, not in an embarrassing way but as a parent would, she said.”

Dilbert has played football in the Cayman Islands for 20 plus years, a record that surpasses the life span of most of the current national team players.

Ten players on the current squad participated in the CONCACAF Women’s Under 20 tournament back in January and Dilbert is pleased to see some of the players come of age.

She asserted, “I have watched every one of the players, join the league and develop through the years. From the primary level straight to the women’s league, I have watched their growth and development and with each tournament they are getting stronger and better.”

When asked, how much longer she can compete at the top level, she quipped, “I’ll go until my body tells me it’s time to pack it in.”

For more: http://caymanfootball.com/dilbert-uses-experience-to-guide-cayman-womens-team/

CFU Women’s Cup News:  [Cayman lose]

Goals Galore In CFU Women’s Caribbean Cup

It was goals galore at the start of the inaugural Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Women’s Caribbean Cup Tournament which kicked off on May 23, in three Caribbean countries.

In Group 1, played at the Antigua Recreation Grounds in Antigua & Barbuda, it was the hosts who clipped the US Virgin Islands 1-0 in the feature game while in the opening game St Vincent and the Grenadines blanked Aruba 2-0.

Only one game was played in Group 2 of the tournament in Puerto Rico at the Juan .R. Loubriel Stadium in which Barbados were upstaged 3-1 by Martinique.

Meanwhile, in Group 3 at the TCIFA National Academy in the Turks and Caicos Islands the hosts were beaten 5-0 by Bermuda while St Kitts & Nevis defeated The Cayman Islands 5-0.

Games will continue on Sunday May 25, with St Vincent and the Grenadines meeting the US Virgin Islands at 5:00pm at the Antigua Recreation Ground and at 7:00pm the hosts will take on Aruba.

There will be one game in Group 3 at the Juan .R. Loubriel Stadium between hosts Puerto Rico and Barbados at 5:00pm.

The tournament will serve as the official qualification tournament in the Caribbean Zone for both the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Eight teams will feature the four first round group winners, the two best overall second place teams from the four groups 1, 3, 4&5 and the host country Trinidad & Tobago.

Group 4 and 5 will begin their games on May 30 and June 18 respectively.

Related story:

Cayman Athletic claim U17 Boys title

(CIFA) Zachary Dixon scored an impressive hat trick and vaulted Cayman Athletic to the Cayman Islands Football Association Under 17 Boys League title over Elite.

Dixon scored three times in the first half, hitting the target in the 20th, 26th and 32nd minutes.

Dixon’s goals coming after Elite got on the score sheet early thanks to an own goal from Jordan Miles.

Jordan McLean (21st) and Clevin Bello (37th) hit the mark for Athletic in the impressive victory.

For more: http://caymanfootball.com/cayman-athletic-claim-u17-boys-title/

Cayman’s Flores looks to pair wins, development

CONCACAF.com GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands – May 23, 2014 – While advancing past the first round of the 2014 Caribbean Football Union Women’s Caribbean Cup is the main objective, Ruben Flores – the newly appointed head coach of the Cayman Islands women’s national team — is using the international outing as an opportunity to assess his side.

Cayman opens Group 3 play in Turks & Caicos on Friday against St. Kitts & Nevis, before facing Bermuda (May 25) and the host (May 27). While Flores, who has coached previously in his native Mexico and Canada, embraces winning as the first priority, development is a close second.

“This tournament is a milestone for female football in the Caribbean and a tangible way to judge development and success,” Flores told CONCACAF.com. “We are trying to compete and give the new generations a good reputation as a country and an outlet for a brighter future.”

With an eye on that future, ten players that competed for the host Cayman Islands in the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship were selected for the competition, which is a qualifier for the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship (the final round of qualifying for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup). Those squad members join experienced international Shenel Gall — the first Caymanian woman to play professionally overseas — and Shanice Monteith, a sophomore midfielder at the University of West Florida.

“This tournament is a good measurement for some countries like ours to reinforce the work that has been done to develop female athletes,” expressed Flores. “‎It gives also the opportunity to showcase the local talent and to strive for something for the younger athletes.”

CAYMAN ISLANDS WOMEN’S ROSTER

(Caribbean Football Union Women’s Caribbean Cup, First Round: May 23-27, 2014)

GOALKEEPERS: Courtisha Ebanks, Jovani Hessing, Kristina Seymour,

DEFENDERS: Sophia Dilbert, Deondra Kelly, Tyra McField, Brittany Mobley, Amanda Nelson

MIDFIELDERS: Janel Ebanks, Jessica Ebanks, Kaela Ebanks, Neesah Godet, Shanice Monteith, Lauren Scott, Ariella Smith, Nicole Whittaker

FORWARDS: Shanai Allen, Shanelle Frederick, Shenel Gall