ERIE, Pa. - Former Gannon women's soccer standout Justine Rodrigues (Georgetown, Ontario/Georgetown District) is back on the national stage this week as her Guyana national team attempts to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
A native of Canada with Guyanese descent, Rodrigues has been playing with the Guyana National Senior Women's Soccer Team since the age of 16. With three qualifying rounds to reach the Olympics, Guyana has already advanced through the first two. It began the run in the Dominican Republic (August 21-25) where it advanced by defeating St. Kitts 8-0 and tying Cuba 1-1. Guyana then advanced through the second qualifying round in Trinidad and Tobago last November with a 2-1 win over Jamaica.
Rodrigues and her teammates face their final hurdle during the next 11 days at the final Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) qualifying round hosted in Houston and Dallas, Texas. The top two finishers in each group will advance to the semifinals with the winners qualifying for the 12-team tournament at the 2016 Summer Olympics August 5-21 in Brazil.
Guyana, ranked 92nd in the world, is in the same group with 11th-ranked Canada, 48th-ranked Trinidad and Tobago and 84th-ranked Guatemala. The other group includes top-ranked United States, 26th-ranked Mexico, 34th-ranked Costa Rica and Puerto Rico.
The final qualifying round kicks off for Guyana Thursday, February 11 against Trinidad and Tobago at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston beginning at 6 p.m. EST. The squad faces Guatemala on Sunday, February 14 and Canada on Tuesday, February 16. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday, February 19 with the championship match slated for Sunday, February 21. The Championship will be televised across the region, including coverage in the United States on NBC Sports in English and Telemundo in Spanish. For the exact schedule of matches to be broadcast, please check your local listings.
Guyana has tasted success with the help of Rodrigues who scored the game-winning goal against Cuba to reach the Gold Cup of the FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds. Rodrigues was directly pitted against the likes of Kara Lang and Canadian women's senior team captain Christine Sinclair during the FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds.
Rodrigues was a four-year starter at Gannon from 2011-14, starting 74 matches during that time span. The midfielder was a three-time all-region selection, earning honors twice from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and once from Daktronics. She was also a two-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) selection.
The Georgetown, Ontario, native finished her collegiate career with 20 goals, nine assists, 49 points and eight game-winning goals. Rodrigues ranks eighth all-time at Gannon in career goals, ninth in career points and 15th in career assists. Her best season arguably came as a senior when she recorded nine goals and 19 points.
