A determined Sunset Football Club senior women’s team pulled off a major 2-0 upset in the Cayman Islands Football Association President’s Cup final to capture the prestigious trophy for the first time in more than five years.
Going up against defending champions Elite, who went undefeated last season, Sunset entered the match, held 14 Feb., as underdogs and even fielded the less-experienced squad.
“We only had three players over the age of 18 on the pitch, including two 13-year-olds and three substitutes,” Gisela Gamba, head coach for Sunset, told the Compass. “My only concern was that I was missing four of our starters, but I was not afraid of [Elite].
“People may think you are the better team, but anybody can win; that’s why football is the best sport to me.”
Exhorting her team to play with no fear, and lots of drive, Gamba coached them to the 2-0 extra-time win over Elite.
With the teams playing to a nil-nil draw after full-time, Gamba decided to change the game plan in the extra 30 minutes, in the hope of avoiding a penalty shootout.
“I really didn’t want to go to penalties, so I switched up a few things,’ she said.
That plan, along with visibly fatigued Elite players, led to Sunset captain Kinsey Campbell-Joiner netting the first goal of the match in the 118th minute. Teammate Jada Dixon-Lam put a stamp on the win, scoring the final goal in the only minute of added time.
“I knew we had less experience because our players were younger – that was my only concern,” Gamba said, noting that once the game began, she realised that her players, some of whom have been with Sunset for 10 years, were creating more chances and holding possession.
“In my opinion, we were the better team. We played the better football so we deserved the win.”
The fixture marked the first time the two teams played each other this season. Elite had not lost a single game until the President’s Cup final outside of the preseason charity shield game.
Following their loss in the President’s Cup, Elite then suffered their second consecutive defeat, this time coming in the CIFA Women’s League against Academy on Sunday, 18 Feb., which ended 3-2.
Meanwhile, Sunset remains undefeated and currently tops the league table.
Gamba said the cup win against Elite has boosted the team’s morale heading into the rest of the season: “It gives us motivation [more than] confidence, because we have confidence already, but it’s nice to see the result.”
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