It was a feel good, goosebump moment on Tuesday, when the Cayman Islands national football team secured their first win in almost four years – a triumph they won’t soon forget.
“Finally we got this victory,” jubilant head coach Cláudio Garcia told the Compass after the match.
The Cayman men’s team defeated the US Virgin Islands 2-1 at the Truman Bodden Complex in the 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League fixture.
It’s the second time Cayman has played USVI in the group stages of the competition after having played their first fixture away last month, which ended 2-2.
The victory marked Cayman’s first win since November of 2019, when they defeated USVI 1-0.
Garcia noted that it has been a long road, praising the players for not giving up through the hard times.
“I think there has been a lot of frustration all these years,” he said. “We’ve been working so hard and it’s a feeling that’s really, really good. I have amazing staff, amazing coaches [but] the players did this, they deserve this, this is their win.”
Striker Elijah Seymour gave Cayman the lead in the 17th minute. In the second half, teammate Christopher Reeves made it 2-0, before USVI’s Rakeem Joseph responded in the 84th minute, closing the game at 2-1.
Ultimately, the USVI final rallies weren’t enough when compared to the efforts of the home team, who rejoiced when the final whistle blew. The crowd erupted and many were visibly emotional.
“I think the country should be really proud of these players,” Garcia added. “It’s my first win as a senior head coach and it’s an honour to lead this team.”
Cayman will play their final Group B match of the 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League against Aruba on 20 Nov.
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