Women’s World Cup: Jamaica Progresses to Last-16, A Historic First, as Brazil Gets Knocked Out

In a remarkable turn of events, Jamaica advanced to the last-16 phase of the Women’s World Cup for the first time ever, while Brazil was eliminated from the tournament in an unforeseen twist.

The hard-fought match in Melbourne was characterized by Jamaica’s resilient defense, keeping their remarkable tournament run alive for another round.

In contrast, Brazil, even with their top scorer Marta back in the starting lineup, couldn’t find the decisive goal, marking their first exit at this stage in almost three decades.

Marta, 37, holds the record for the most goals scored in both men’s and women’s World Cups, with 17 goals, but won’t be able to add to her tally in this tournament, after her team’s early departure following three group-stage matches.

This goalless standoff might pit Jamaica against Colombia or Germany in the last 16, while France advanced as the Group F winners after triumphing over Panama in the corresponding fixture.

Here’s a quick recap of Jamaica’s 0-0 draw with Brazil
What do we know about the last 24 hours of the World Cup?
Against all odds, Jamaica perseveres while Marta bids farewell
Jamaica maintained an undefeated record with two draws and a win in the group stages

Jamaica showcased their mettle by holding off the group’s favorite, France, in a goalless standoff and then clinching a crucial 1-0 victory against Panama, all without their main attacker Khadija Shaw, who was serving a suspension due to a red card in their opening match.

Shaw, who plays for Manchester City, brought much-needed offensive prowess to the Jamaican side during the match in Melbourne.

Rafaelle Souza, a former Arsenal center-back, kept Shaw largely in check. However, Shaw’s mere presence was enough to rattle the defense and she nearly scored with just 10 minutes left on the clock, missing the target on a counter-attack.

As Jamaica’s only legitimate scoring opportunity, Brazil was put under pressure, endlessly hunting for the goal that would secure their place in the knockout stage.

Marta, who left the field to rousing applause after 80 minutes, had a few opportunities, as did Debinha, Luana, and Tamires, all of whom tested Jamaica’s goalkeeper, Becky Spencer.

Despite her sixth World Cup appearance, Marta couldn’t expand her record-breaking 17 goal tally.

Brazil, however, seemed predictable and uninspiring, struggling to dismantle Jamaica’s compact defense and bringing little to their do-or-die struggle to remain in Australia.

In a near-miracle in the third minute of stoppage time in the second half, substitute Andressa seized a loose ball in a box scramble, only for Spencer to save it again, causing despair among the Brazilian substitutes.

The early exit is a major disappointment for the South American champions who, just a few months prior, had taken their European counterparts England to a penalty shootout in the Women’s Finalissima at Wembley, and arrived at the World Cup with high hopes.

Understandably, Brazil’s manager, Pia Sundhage, had a lot to say about the result. She was quick to shoulder responsibility for the team’s performance and indicated they will have to revisit their preparations and see what could have been done differently.

However, the day belonged to Jamaica, which impressed with three clean sheets in the group stage and demonstrated that they can compete with some of the world’s top-ranked nations. Their monumental achievement was met with an outpouring of emotion at the final whistle.

Their journey to Australia and New Zealand was fraught with conflicts with their own federation – the Reggae Girlz had written an open letter demanding “immediate and systematic change” – and their success now amplifies their voices even more.

Line-ups

Match Stats

Live Text
Home Team
Jamaica
Away Team
Brazil
Possession
Home
27%
Away
73%
Shots
Home
3
Away
18
Shots on Target
Home
0
Away
8
Corners
Home
0
Away
6
Fouls
Home
8
Away
3

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More about Women’s World Cup

• Jamaica’s Historic Advance
• Marta’s Scoring Record
• Brazil’s Early Exit
• Reggae Girlz’ Fight for Change
• Women’s World Cup Updates