Tajio James
{{short description|Barbadian footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Tajio James
| fullname =
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|12|17|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Bridgetown, Barbados
| height = 1.67 m
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Central Arkansas Bears
| clubnumber = 11
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| collegeyears1 = 2021–2022
| college1 = Feather River Golden Eagles
| collegecaps1 = 40
| collegegoals1 = 41
| collegeyears2 = 2023–2024
| college2 = Central Arkansas Bears
| collegecaps2 = 27
| collegegoals2 = 4
| years1 = 2020–2021
| clubs1 = UWI Blackbirds
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| nationalyears1 = 2022–
| nationalteam1 = Barbados
| nationalcaps1 = 10
| nationalgoals1 = 5
| nationalteam-update = 00:50, 21 November 2023 (UTC)
| club-update = 16:34, 10 August 2022 (UTC)
}}
Tajio James (born 17 December 2003) is a Barbadian footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Central Arkansas Bears and the Barbados national team.
Club career
As a youth James was part of the KFC Pinelands Football Academy and Pro Shottas United. With the latter he won a number of youth titles.{{cite web |last1=Phillips |first1=Michael |title=FOOTBALL: TEAMS SLIPPING INTO POLE POSITION IN GUARDIAN GROUP TOURNEY |url=https://www.barbadosadvocate.com/sports/football-teams-slipping-pole-position-guardian-group-tourney |publisher=Barbados Advocate |access-date=10 August 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Gilkes |first1=Renaldo |title=Pine pair earn scholarship to the United States |url=https://barbados.loopnews.com/content/pine-pair-earn-scholarship-united-states |publisher=Loop News |access-date=10 August 2022}}{{cite web |title=Goal feast for usual suspects |url=https://www.nationnews.com/2018/02/16/goal-feast-for-usual-suspects/ |publisher=Nation News |access-date=10 August 2022}} For the 2020 Barbados Premier League season he was part of the youth movement at UWI Blackbirds FC.{{cite web |last1=Gilkes |first1=Renaldo |title=From the BFA dug outs: A minute with Tajio James |url=https://barbados.loopnews.com/content/bfa-dug-outs-minute-tajio-james |publisher=Loop News |access-date=10 August 2022}} He scored his first two Premier League goals on 3 March 2020 in a 4–0 victory over Brittons Hill FC.{{cite web |title=James brace leads UWI in Premier League victory |url=https://barbados.loopnews.com/content/james-brace-leads-uwi-premier-league-victory |publisher=Loops News |access-date=11 August 2022}}
In August 2021 it was announced that James and fellow-Barbadian Devonte Richards had received a scholarship to play college soccer in the United States for the Golden Eagles of Feather River College. During his first season with the team, James tallied nine assists and a team-high thirteen goals as Feather River College won the CCCAA Golden Valley Conference Championship.{{cite web |last1=Gilkes |first1=Renaldo |title=Bajan duo earn Conference title in the US |url=https://barbados.loopnews.com/content/bajan-duo-earn-conference-title-us |publisher=Loop News |access-date=10 August 2022}} Late in the season he was leading the conference in both goals and points.{{cite web |title=Golden Eagle's Lead GVC, Face #11 Butte College |url=https://athletics.frc.edu/sports/msoc/2021-22/releases/20211104omtd0b |publisher=Feather River College Athletics |access-date=10 August 2022}} Following his sophomore season, James was named to the second team of the United Soccer Coaches 2022 Junior College Division III All-America Team.{{cite web |title=United Soccer Coaches Announces 2022 Junior College All-Americans |url=https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/united-soccer-coaches-announces-2022-junior-college-all-americans/ |publisher=National Soccer Coaches |access-date=20 December 2022}}
In April 2023 it was announced that James had transferred to NCAA Division 1 school Central Arkansas University to play for the Bears.{{cite web |last1=Thiele |first1=Ryan |title=Men's Soccer Adds to 2023 Signing Class |url=https://ucasports.com/news/2023/4/20/mens-soccer-adds-to-2023-signing-class.aspx |publisher=Central Arkansas Athletics |access-date=25 April 2023}}
International career
James represented Barbados as a youth at the U15 and U17 levels, including three appearances in the 2019 CONCACAF U-17 Championship.{{cite web |title=Global Sports Archive profile |url=https://globalsportsarchive.com/people/soccer/tajio-james/318653/ |publisher=Global Sports Archive |access-date=11 August 2022}} He received his first senior call-up by head coach Russell Latapy in February 2021.{{cite web |last1=Gilkes |first1=Renaldo |title=Loop speaks to Tridents' "New kids on the block" |url=https://barbados.loopnews.com/content/loop-speaks-tridents-new-kids-block |publisher=Loop News |access-date=10 August 2022}} He was called up again for the 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League B.{{cite web |last1=Lindsay |first1=Morrisa |title=Barbados team named; Gale missing again |url=https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/05/25/barbados-team-named-gale-missing-again/ |publisher=Barbados Today |access-date=10 August 2022}} James went on to make his senior international debut on 2 June 2022 in Barbados's opening match against Antigua and Barbuda.{{cite web |title=NFT profile |url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/87662/Tajio_James.html |publisher=National Football Teams |access-date=10 August 2022}}{{cite web |title=Philip strikes late for Antigua & Barbuda winner vs Barbados |url=https://www.concacaf.com/nations-league/news/philip-strikes-late-for-antigua-barbuda-winner-vs-barbados/ |publisher=CONCACAF |access-date=10 August 2022}}
James scored his first senior international goal in a 1–1 friendly draw with Grenada on 22 February 2023.{{cite web |title=Grenada Draws First International Friendly Against Barbados |url=https://www.mikeylive.com/2023/02/23/grenada-draws-first-international-friendly-against-barbados/ |publisher=Mikey Live |access-date=26 February 2023}} Two days later he scored two more goals in another draw with the same opponent.{{cite web |last1=Clarke |first1=Sherrylyn |title=Tajio strikes twice |url=https://www.nationnews.com/2023/02/26/tajio-strikes-twice/ |publisher=Nation News |access-date=26 February 2023}}{{cite web |title=Decisive tests await Cuba, Guadeloupe as League B returns |url=https://www.concacaf.com/nations-league/news/decisive-tests-await-cuba-guadeloupe-as-league-b-returns/ |publisher=CONCACAF |access-date=27 March 2023}}
=International goals=
Scores and results list Barbados's goal tally first.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%;"
! No. !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition | ||||||
| 1. | 22 February 2023 | Fond Playing Field, Sauteurs, Grenada | rowspan="3" |{{fb|GRN}} | style="text-align: center;" |1–1 | style="text-align: center;"|1–1 | rowspan="3" |Friendly |
| 2. | rowspan="2" |24 February 2023 | rowspan="2" |Kirani James Athletic Stadium St. George's, Grenada | style="text-align: center;" |1–0 | rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | 2–2 | ||
| 3. | style="text-align: center;" |2–1 | |||||
| 4. | 26 March 2023 | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda | {{fb|ATG}} | style="text-align: center;" |2–1 | style="text-align: center;"|2–1 | 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League B |
| 5. | 20 November 2023 | Blakes Estate Stadium, Lookout, Montserrat | {{fb|MSR}} | style="text-align: center;" |2–4 | style="text-align: center;"|2–4 | 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League B |
| colspan="7" |Last updated 20 November 2023 |
=International career statistics=
{{updated|match played 20 November 2023.}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan=3 | Barbados | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4 | 0 |
| 2023 | 6 | 5 |
| Total||10||5 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{NFT player|87662/Tajio_James}}
- {{Soccerway|tajio-james/608711}}
- [https://ucasports.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/tajio-james/9176 Central Arkansas Bears profile]
- [https://athletics.frc.edu/sports/msoc/2021-22/bios/james_tajio_0mq0 Feather River College profile]
- {{GSA player|tajio-james/318653}}
- [http://barbadosfa.com/clubwall/?page=playerdetails&PlRegNo=TJ130412-1057&PlayerID=3100&RegYr=2013 BFA profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Tajio}}
Category:Barbadian men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders