EDINBURG, Texas -- No Caribbean team has qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Jamaica captain and center back Konya Plummer, however, plans to change that at the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship.
"We are planning to create history this year," she said on the eve of Friday's Group B match against Canada at H-E-B Park.
"Our team is very confident entering the tournament," she added. "First of all, we have an easy group, a group that is more realistic on what we can do. We are very motivated in the sense that we have an opportunity to be here."
The Reggae Girlz' first opportunity will be against an experienced Canadian side that hosted the 2015 Women's World Cup.
"We just got to go out and execute against a more experienced Canada [team] that we have a lot of respect for," head coach Hue Menzies commented. "But at the end of the day we've got to feel like we're more athletic and sit more on our attributes and our athleticism vs. worrying tactically about what they're doing. Make them worry more about us more."
Menzies felt that his team's "youthfulness can be a plus because at a young age you don't worry about it too much. You just go play."
One challenge will be shutting down Canadian legend, 35-year-old striker Christine Sinclair, whose 173 international goals is second to the United States' Abby Wambach (184) on the all-time list.
"We're very concerned," Menzies stated. "She's experienced. People say she has slowed down a bit. But her experience, savviness and commitment has carried her country all these years. She's definitely an icon. We have to respect that. But … she laces up her shoes the same way we do. We just got to go out there and execute."
Plummer was confident the Jamaicans can.
"I don't think she's a big threat to me," she finished. "If we close off the backline and we score goals, then the game is going to become easier. And the best defense is scoring goals. So I'm not really worried about Sinclair."
