Reggae Girlz dance with joy as Brazil dumped out of World Cup

Jamaica held on for the scoreless draw that condemned Brazil to an early exit

Wed, 02 Aug, 2023 - 14:05

A courageous Jamaica held Brazil to a 0-0 draw to reach the knockout phase for the first time in only their second Women’s World Cup while condemning the seleção to their earliest exit since 1995.

The Reggae Girlz, needing a point to go through, barely threatened to score but were tight in defence, repelling wave after wave of attacks in a frenetic atmosphere at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

At the final whistle, the overwhelmed Jamaicans slumped to their knees and roared in joy before forming a circle to dance and sway to the Bob Marley song “One Love”.

Brazil’s coach, Pia Sundhage, started Marta for the first time in the forward’s sixth World Cup but the 37-year-old bowed out in disappointment.

Her touch was missing early. She fired a shot into a defender in the fourth minute and wasted another chance seven minutes later with a heavy touch, leaving an unmarked Ary Borges fuming at the far post.

Running towards goal, Borges finally had her chance when Luana found her with a cross but the playmaker steered her header well wide in the 24th minute. Borges then set up Tamires with a delightful cross into the inside-left channel late in the half but she thumped a volley straight at the goalkeeper, Becky Spencer.

Jamaica rode their luck to half-time and Brazil’s desperation grew after the break as their attacks came to nothing. Jamaicans’ hearts were in mouths in the 79th minute when the defender Allyson Swaby nearly put the ball into her own net with a terrible attempted clearance that forced Spencer into a fine save at the far post.

In search of a goal, Brazil exposed themselves to the counterattack and Khadija Shaw almost made them pay. With only the keeper to beat, she blazed just over in the 82nd minute.

Brazil had one last chance in a final-minute goalmouth scramble but Debinha headed straight to Spencer, and soon Jamaica could celebrate arguably their finest moment in international football.

Sundhage took responsibility for one of Brazil's lowest. "In the locker room there are many sad players and coaches. At the end of the day I'm responsible for the result. Of course I am not alone but the way we have worked and prepared is something I need to look back on."

Reuters