Louisville City starters Shaun Francis and Speedy Williams got word over the weekend that they’ve been picked for the Jamaican National Team’s 40-man preliminary roster for the Gold Cup.
Francis, who has worn the captain’s arm-band for LouCity in several matches this season, and Williams, one of LouCity’s most-active players, will miss several weeks of the USL Championship season, but coach John Hackworth said he’s happy for the pair.
“Earning a spot on your national team is an incredible honor,” coach John Hackworth said. “We know what quality players Speedy and Frano are, and we understand why Jamaica wants them to play for the National Team.”
LouCity will need to make due without the two through a significant portion of the June schedule.
“I am proud of Speedy and Shaun, and happy for them that they’ll get to wear their countries colors again,” Hackworth said. “It won’t be easy to replace two players of their caliber, but we know we have quality players on our roster and we have dealt with changes in the roster due to injury so far this season already.”
Both Francis and Williams have played for The Reggae Boyz in international competition before, many times, in fact.
Francis made his debut with with Jamaican National Team on Oct. 11, 2010 and has 18 caps and three goals during his international experience. The native of Mandeville, Jamaica, has played more than 1,300 minutes for Jamaica.
Williams, a native of Kingston, was just 18 years old when he made his debut for Jamaica on August 12, 2010. Since then he has played in six matches for his native country including three matches in the CONCACAF Nations League in late 2018 and March of this year.
Francis and Williams will likely be with Louisville City at Bethlehem Steel this Sunday and then at home vs. Charleston Battery on June 1 before embarking on their training for Gold Cup.
