Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
WHEN ONE door closes another opens and that appears to be so true to two of Jamaica's Reggae Girlz who recently quit the Michigan Phoenix in the United States Women Premier Soccer League (WPSL).
Immediately after The Gleaner published the plight of Iesha Mowatt and Venecia Reid on Tuesday, Shek Borkowski, the head coach of FC Indiana, showed interest in signing the players.
Ironically, Reid was told by her Jamaica coach, Vin Blaine, to talk only to a specific radio station and not to any newspaper.
Yet it was through the newspaper report that coach Borkowski saw Reid's plight and was willing to give her another shot in the league.
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"I saw your article on Iesha Mowatt and Venecia Reid and I wanted to get a hold of them along with Jody-Ann McGreggor," Borkowski told The Gleaner.
"Two of our girls played for the US Youth team and they had mentioned to us about Venecia specifically," he said.
Borkowski was voted co-coach of the year after leading FC Indiana to the 2005 championship and the US Open Cup in his first year in charge.
FC Indiana created history by becoming the only team to win the league and Cup double.
Reid, along with Mowatt, walked out on Phoenix citing poor accommodation and salary, and that they were not treated the same as the Brazilians or the Italians in the side.
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That was refuted by Michigan head coach Hank Leung who said he was surprised by their comments when contacted on Monday.
"I am surprised by those comments. They had a home in the same neighbourhood as everybody else. They had a family that was hosting them. They were in a upper middle-class setting," Leung said.
"They just got a bit home sick and that's understandable as it might have been their first time away from home for an extended period," he said.
