Injury and illness took their toll on the Bermudian women's soccer team during the recent Caribbean Championships in Haiti.

The team returned home last night after taking part in games against the host nation and Jamaica.

The women had been expected to do well but crashed to a 5-0 defeat against Haiti after encountering some very physical play from the home side.

Several Bermudians were injured during the tie and it meant a number of changes had to be made during the remainder of the tournament.

Bermuda Football Association head of delegation, Michelle White said it had been a difficult match and had been a learning experience for the women against a team that had been playing together for more than three years.

In the run-up to the second match against Jamaica several of the Bermuda side fell ill.

White said they were struck down with flu-like symptoms and were suffering from vomiting and upset stomachs. This left many of them weakened by the start of the match.

Hopes had been high prior to illness striking, but the women found they could not keep pace with their Jamaican counterparts and went down 4-1 -- Erika Russell scoring a consolation goal from the penalty spot.

White said as well as the health problems and the injuries, the delegation had also had to contend with some challenging conditions on the island.

Although there was disappointment at the outcome of the tournament, she said it was a good indicator of what needed to be done to reach a standard where the team were able to compete well at a regional level.

Bermuda squad: Sakena Clarke, Chevonne Furbert, Tanika White, Tene Rabain, Naquita Dill, Raneika Bean, Talitha Davis, Nicole Jones, Ricketta Warner, Erika Russell, Arkeita Smith, Tanya Semos, Juanita Smith, Waynesha Bean, Catherine Clarke, Stacy Babb, Terrylyn Williams. Officials: Michelle White (HOD), Vance Brown (head coach), Wendall Furbert (assistant coach), Terry Richardson (equipment manager), Shane Simmons (physio).

Bermuda's Under-17 national team, coached by Kenny Thompson and Scott Morton, leave the Island on Saturday for an 11-day European tour taking in matches in England, Belgium, Germany and Holland.

Group pairings for the Under-17 World Cup qualifying tournament in November have also been released.

Bermuda are in Group Two Pool D with host country the Cayman Islands, US Virgin Islands and Cuba.

The winners of the group will play in the semi-final round in January. A venue for that has yet to be confirmed.

Success at this stage would see the team attempt to reach the World Cup proper by particpating and advancing past the CONCACAF final tournament scheduled for April 18-22 and May 2-6 with two groups playing in the USA and Honduras respectively.

The two group winners will join host nation Trinidad and Tobago as CONCACAF representatives at the 2001 under-17 World Cup.