CNN –
Colombia made it to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup for the first time in history by beating Jamaica 1-0 in Melbourne on Tuesday, while France secured a comfortable win over Morocco to advance to their last eight.
Colombia’s Catalina Usme scored a stunning goal, breaking the stubborn Jamaican defense and becoming the first player at this tournament to break that barrier.
A last eight tie against reigning European champion and world No.4 England in Sydney on Saturday will be the reward for the Colombians, as the South American team has the potential to win despite the 21-place difference in their world rankings.
Les Bleues will face Australia in the last eight on Saturday, following France’s 4-0 victory over their host nation of Morocco, who had made it to the quarter-finals in its inaugural season.
Colombia, Morocco, and Jamaica’s unlikely progression to the knockout stages will make this tournament a success. After all, what is the point of sporting romance?
Morocco’s loss to France, a favorite of the tournament, was followed by disappointment from both Colombia and Jamaica, as they went down 3-0 within 23 minutes.
Colombia made history by beating Jamaica, becoming the first South American country to reach the last eight since Brazil in 2011.
Colombia coach Nelson Abada expressed to FIFA that the match was a unique moment for women’s soccer in Colombia and South America.
“We played well today, thanks to the hard work and determination of our players who have fought for consistency, character, and personality,” he said.
Ignoring is not an option.
After the final whistle, a few of Jamaica’s players shed tears. However, their inclusion in the round-of-16 is particularly impressive.
The Reggae Girlz achieved success not only in their group consisting of France and Brazil, but also through a statement released prior to the tournament that they were “extremely disappointed” with the country’s soccer federation.
According to the statement, the team’s lack of organization caused them to miss several friendlies and they had not been compensated as per their contract.
The JFF stated on its website that they are working diligently to address players’ concerns, despite certain challenges.
Before the 2019 World Cup, Chinyelu Asher, a Jamaican international, stated to CNN that his statement was meant to encourage the federation to take the women’s team seriously.
What is the answer to the question of how does this team’s success compare to that of other countries with less funding?
The World Cup prize money, which is a record $110 million, will be split between participating federations and teams, with approximately $49 million going directly to players.
Despite Jamaica’s departure from this tournament in Melbourne, the team has excelled on the international stage and established themselves as uncomplicated competitors.
Usain Bolt, the Jamaican track and field legend, shared on social media after the match, “You made us all proud of you.”
Caicedo is not heard from in Jamaica.
The first game of the day started with a goalless atmosphere. Jamaica’s defense was unresolved in the group stages, and Colombia faced challenges in breaking through despite imposing pressure from their experienced backline.
Lorne Donaldson, the coach of Jamaica, had challenged his team to score, but they only had two shots on target and did not have enough possession to put pressure on Colombia.
Colombia’s talented 18-year-old, Linda Caicedo, was largely quiet in the match, except for Usme’m moment of magic.
The Colombian skipper tinkered with Ana Guzman’s superb pass in the 51st minute, before placing the ball beyond Jamaican forward Rebecca Spencer. It was fitting and it would become history.
After Catalina Perez fumbled the ball on her goalline, Jamaica was almost level and launched a counterattack. However, Caicedo’s offside challenge did not prevent them from getting back in the game.
As the game continued, Caicedo gained more freedom as a left-back while Jamaica held on to the threat presented by the Real Madrid player who has lit up this tournament with her amazing ball skills.
In the waning moments of the game, Jamaica could have scored by tapping in Drew Spence’s header, but their chances were wasted when Leicy Santos hit the post. The match ended with Jamaica trying to score an equalizer in its closing stages.
Jamaica’s late flourishing was overshadowed by its prosaic approach in the end.
France is a non-regularized nation.
Kenza Dali celebrates scoring France’s second goal.
In Adelaide, France took a 3-0 lead in the first half to settle the game and solidify their position as favored contenders.
Les Bleues took control with two admirable team goals. Kadidiatou Diani scored a goal on the left flank and found Kenza Dali, who had beaten her teammate to make it three goals clear.
Eugénie Le Sommer’s 91st international goal made it almost impossible for Morocco to mount a comeback, as France displayed their most ruthless defense.
Despite being more competitive in the second half, Morocco’s Le Sommer scored her second goal of the game in just 70 minutes by heading home from behind.
France won indiscriminately, but Morocco’s defeat still made it a historic moment in the competition.