Colombia edge Jamaica 1-0 to set up England Women’s World Cup quarter-final | Football News
After lacking out on the 2019 match, Colombia’s girls’s crew has made outstanding progress. Their outstanding efficiency in Australia noticed them high their group and even obtain a surprising upset in opposition to Germany, the second-ranked crew on this planet.
The Twenty fifth-ranked Colombian crew showcased their continued prowess on the packed Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. They tactfully wore down the resilient and bodily strong Jamaican facet, who had not conceded a single aim all through the match.
Colombia’s intense, attacking ethos beneath coach Nelson Abadia lastly paid dividends within the 51st minute when the damaging Usme received the breakthrough with a composed end contained in the field to unlock a beforehand impenetrable defence.
It set a cagey recreation alight and despatched the pumping pro-Colombian crowd into deafening delirium, with the Reggae Girlz unable to discover a approach again.
Colombia will now play England in Sydney on Saturday for a spot within the semi-finals after the Lionesses got here by means of a gripping penalty shootout in opposition to Nigeria.
4 years after crashing out of the 2019 match with three heavy defeats, Forty third-ranked Jamaica, like Colombia, additionally got here to Australia with low expectations.
And regardless of the crushing defeat, they’ll go away with their heads held excessive after clear sheets in opposition to France, Panama and Brazil.
In entrance of riotous followers, who booed every time Jamaica touched the ball, either side pressed early in a stop-start opening that noticed a number of gamers go down beneath heavy challenges.
The probabilities have been few and much between within the opening 20 minutes with Colombia’s Diana Ospina having the perfect — and solely — shot on track, however it did not have sufficient energy to bother the keeper.
However the South People started to seek out some rhythm as their supporters urged them on and the alternatives began flowing, with Leicy Santos and Usme each going shut.
With Colombia assuming management, Jamaica resorted to some clumsy challenges and Chantelle Swaby and Drew Spence each picked up yellow playing cards in a tough-tackling half.
The breakthrough got here six minutes after the restart with teenage World Cup debutant Ana Guzman pinging a wonderful ball to Usme who took one contact earlier than side-footing dwelling.
Fired up, Jamaica virtually had a right away reply with Jody Brown’s shot cleared off the road in a frantic goalmouth scramble that then noticed Colombia break on a counter-attack which practically led to Actual Madrid sensation Linda Caicedo doubling the rating.
Behind for the primary time on the World Cup and dealing with the exit door, Jamaica deserted their defensive posture and threw gamers ahead frantically searching for the equaliser.
Spence virtually grabbed it with a header that spun simply vast.
However regardless of giving all the pieces, Colombia held on to maintain their World Cup dream alive and virtually scored a second on the loss of life when Santos’s header hit the submit.
(With AFP Inputs)
