By Alexis Monteith/Contributor

Portuguese media has reported that Jamaican forward Jody Brown is expected to arrive at football club Sport Lisboa e Benfica (Benfica) on Friday, September 13, three months after signing for the club in June 2024.

Her arrival from Jamaica was delayed due to bureaucratic issues further complicated by Hurricane Beryl, holding up her visa.

According to the sports newspaper Record in Portugal, Brown will begin a “detailed training plan” once she joins the club to integrate her into the team as quickly as possible.

The Reggae Girl signed with Benfica in June amid much media fanfare following her graduation from Florida State University (FSU) earlier this year. It was at FSU and during her appearances for the Jamaica women’s national team that she earned a reputation as a gifted and developing talent.

At just 22 years old, Brown has already represented her country at two World Cups (2019 and 2023). During her four seasons at Florida State University (FSU), she won two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Women’s Soccer Tournaments and four Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Women’s Soccer Tournaments, scoring 24 goals and recording 25 assists.

Following her signing earlier this summer, head coach of Benfica’ women’s team Filipa Patão spoke on the importance of the Reggae Girl addition and what she brings to the club.

“She is a Jamaican who, as I often say, has a certain flair,” Patão remarked on the Benfica website. “She is a very technically gifted player, very fast, and versatile. She can play in various positions: left, right, number 10, or forward. So, she is an offensive player, and as they say, she reminds us a bit of street football when it comes to one-on-ones, facing the opponent, and getting out of more complicated situations in tighter spaces. She is a player with strong technical ability, and she will help us with that.”

“She brings something to our offensive areas that can help us unlock, especially in the final third, teams with a lower block,” the manager continued. “She can play in those spaces and create others for the team. She is another player who will help our squad, which already has many competent players. We wanted to add even more quality to our squad so that all together they can make Benfica an even more dangerous and competent team than it has been.”

Due to her lack of preseason training, the Jamaican forward’s accelerated integration plan will be essential for her as the Women’s National Championship season begins in Portugal. Benfica, with its already talented squad, will face Estoril on Friday, September 11, a match Brown is expected to watch from the stands.

The Reggae Girl signed a three-year deal with the club.