The return of senior national defender Alyssa Yard paid off for the Barbados women’s team recently when she accounted for the lone goal that earned the Bajan ladies a 1-0 victory against host Suriname.
During an interview with Barbados TODAY, the former University of the West Indies Blackbirds and Pro-Shottas utility player said it felt very special to score her first international goal for Barbados on her return to national duties after a six-year break.
Barbados women coached by former national top striker Mario Harte drew the first match 1-1 but emerged victorious in their second and final encounter when Yard got the initial touch and scored off a rebound that stemmed from a penalty kick. Now that she is back and part of the national setup thanks to the encouragement of her sister Dr Nicola Yard, the younger Yard said she thinks that local women’s football has developed quite a lot from when she first started playing the game. However, she believes that there is a need for improvement and that as a team they can do a lot better.
Currently nursing an injury, Yard is focused on rehab. “I currently have an injury so it is mostly like rehab and additional strength work on my own but the majority of it I focus at on practice because I don’t want to overdo it too much too quickly. But it is mostly rehab exercises, mobility and strength work on my own.”
As Barbados prepare for the Concacaf Women’s World Cup Qualification against Group D favourites Panama, El Salvador, Belize and Aruba, Yard strongly believes with the collaboration of everyone including former national men’s captain Emmerson Boyce, they have a really good chance of doing well.
“It is good to see where we are physically and mentally and tactically but I do think we have a good chance. There is a lot more communication between everyone in the group so it is nice to be a part of and it is nice to see,” Yard explained.
She added that she would like to see the women’s league restart once local sports are allowed to resume, because that would help in preparation for the First Round of Concacaf Qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup to be played in New Zealand and Australia.
As they seek to build as a unit, Yard believes more young girls should get involved in playing football and encouraged parents to allow their girl children to play given that there are so many opportunities now in the sport.
“I feel like if your daughter wants to train you should at least give her the opportunity to train because there are so many opportunities in it now. Not just scholarship opportunities but there are so many female professional leagues in other countries. You can also get into management and meet so many other people in this sport and I think that is something that all children should be given an opportunity to play,” Yard added.
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
