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By: Alexis Monteith/Contributor

Fans of Pumas Femenil in Mexico have fallen in love with Deneisha ‘Den Den’ Blackwood.

For those football fans who admire a mix of talent, energy and spirit, the Reggae Girl is fun to watch.

Playing as a midfielder this season, Blackwood has scored six goals from 24 shots in 14 games for Pumas Femenil in Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil. She also made five assists for the team.

But the fun is not just about her impressive numbers. Blackwood’s speed and dribbling electrify the fans, playing a key role in build-ups to goalscoring opportunities.

A post on Liga MX Femenil’s official Instagram account said “her good performances made her one of the most beloved players of the [Pumas Femenil] fans”. 

“This second tournament in Mexico consolidated her in the starting 11 of her team,” it added. “Deneisha played 1,201 minutes in the Clausura 2024. She has been a fundamental piece for the good performance of the [Pumas femenil] team.”

From the moment Blackwood arrived at her club last year her talent and skills brought options to the pitch.

Earlier in 2024, Our Today reported on the Jamaican footballer’s versatility in attack and defence. Last season she often rotated between left back, left of midfield and the forward line for Pumas Femenil.

Deneisha’s development

At the 2023 Women’s World Cup, just before signing for her Mexican club, Blackwood demonstrated her solidity as a left-back for Jamaica, winning Player of the Match for her performance in the Reggae Girlz 0-0 draw with France. But Pumas Femenil also saw the value of her dribbling, ball-carrying and crossing abilities, often slotting her in midfield and even the forward line at times to increase the potency of their attacks.

Then came the Clausura 2024 season this year, under a new head coach, Marcelo Frigério. He utilised Blackwood mostly as a midfielder, where her speed and dribbling were key to the team’s offensive transitions.

The importance of this role cannot be understated. In the first leg of Pumas Femenil’s recent quarter-final play-off match against eventual league champions C.F. Monterrey Femenil, Blackwood was unable to play due to a suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards. After the team’s 2-1 loss to Monterrey, Frigério explained to the media why Blackwood’s unavailability was a huge blow to the club.

“Well, it affected us a lot because our team relies heavily on strong transitions in the offensive phase, which are achieved through coordinated transition movements,” Frigério said in the post-match press conference.

“Everyone knows that Deneisha is participating in the tournament; she’s a key player for this transitional style. So, we miss her a lot, but I also believe that the players who played today gave their all, and we had to adapt to playing without Deneisha. This also cost us a bit.”

head coach, Marcelo Frigério

Pumas Femenil is a strong counter-attacking side that uses speed and directness to get the ball to the attackers once the team has regained possession. When Blackwood receives the ball in midfield she often makes that happen quickly with her dribbling.

She will sometimes head straight for the penalty box or down the wing, using her excellent crossing skill to find teammates in and around the box.

The 27-year-old left-footed footballer was the third best crosser in the league this season, supplying 15 successful crosses and winning 21 offensive duels with her dribbling.

From her position in midfield she is part of a trio of attackers that include Americans Aerial Chavarin and Stephanie Ribeiro. The three players have contributed 23 of the club’s 33 goals this season, making them the second-most dangerous trio in the league.

Ribeiro, a forward, has scored 10 and Chavarin, an attacking midfielder, has scored seven. It is remarkable that Blackwood who was originally brought to the club as a defender is now part of this offensive triumvirate.

Beyond talent

It is not just talent and numbers that endear footballers to fans, however. There’s also character. And Blackwood has a lot of it.

Her goal celebrations are entertaining with the Reggae Girl frequently performing a dance, gesture or coordinated move with her teammates Chavarin and Ribeiro that revs up fans in the stadium. Her vocal and animated interactions with teammates on the pitch further demonstrate that energy.

It is this combination of talent and spirit that has made her a favourite of the fanbase.

“Dear and esteemed Deneisha Blackwood, never leave Pumas Femenil,” one fan wrote on the social media platform, X, in April. “How things change with you on the field of play. You give soul and football to the team.”

With the Reggae Girlz’ top players returning to action after a prolonged absence to face Brazil on June 1 and 4 in Brazil, that ‘Den Den’ energy will be more than welcome.