Saturday, November 9, 2024

Women’s World Cup: Jamaica makes history, France edges Brazil and Sweden romps

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PERTH, Australia — Defender Allyson Swaby scored in the 56th minute and Jamaica hung on to edge Panama 1-0 on Saturday for its first win in Women’s World Cup play.

Swaby, who grew up in West Hartford, Conn., and played for Boston College, knocked in a header off Trudi Carter’s corner kick to clinch the win that moved the Jamaicans into a surprising share of top spot in Group F with France.

The Reggae Girlz were without captain and leading scorer Khadija Shaw, who received a red card in second-half stoppage time of the team’s opening 0-0 draw against France.

Born to a Jamaican father, Allyson and her younger sister, Chantelle, a former Rutgers player, both are starting in their second Women’s World Cup.

Jamaica goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer made four saves in the game, which was the first group-stage meeting between two CONCACAF teams.

Spencer’s first save came in the 40th minute, stopping a Marta Cox shot on goal.

Las Canaleras had one final chance to equalize in the dying seconds off a Katherine Castillo corner. The kick traveled to just outside the box, but Cox’s bicycle attempt wasn’t enough to score.

With its historic win, No. 43-ranked Jamaica now sits atop the Group F standings with No. 5 France. The Reggae Girlz are a step closer to advancing to the knockout round after losing all their group-stage games in their World Cup debut in 2019. They need only a draw against No. 8 Brazil in their last group game to advance, although a loss would likely eliminate them from the tournament.

As remarkable as Jamaica’s appearance in the knockout round would be, Brazil’s absence would be even more shocking. The Brazilians opened with a 4-0 win over Panama but lost 2-1 earlier Saturday to France.

Jamaica will have Shaw back in the lineup to face Brazil on Wednesday. Panama plays France in Sydney the same day.

France 2, Brazil 1

Eugénie Le Sommer and Wendie Renard revived France’s Women’s World Cup ambitions with a goal each in a win over Brazil on Saturday in Brisbane, Australia, to give Les Bleues the lead in Group F.

After missing with a diving header in the 13th minute, Le Sommer scored her 90th international goal to extend her French record four minutes later with an emphatic header that gave Brazilian goalkeeper Leticia little chance.

Debinha equalized for Brazil as the hour approached and the game opened up as both teams pressed for a winner, the Brazilians desperate to end an 11-match winless streak against France.

But it was the set piece where French captain Renard clinched it, capitalizing on some poor defense.

Renard, who had been in doubt for the match with a calf injury she picked up in the lackluster 0-0 draw against Jamaica, was perfectly placed for a back-post header as the towering defender drifted to the edge of the box to meet a corner with a powerful header in the 83rd.

Hervé Renard has reassembled the French squad since taking over as coach, recalling veterans including Le Sommer and restoring the confidence of others like 33-year-old Renard.

After criticism of France’s opening performance for its lack of adventure and flair, his veterans clicked when it counted against Brazil.

“She’s a leader of the team. She’s efficient at scoring goals like today,” the French coach said of his captain. “If she wasn’t able to play today, I’m sure it wouldn’t be the same. We were lucky to have her today, congratulations to her to give us the victory for this game.”

Brazil had opened with a thumping 4-0 win over Panama, with Ary Borges scoring three goals and providing the back-heel assist for one of the goals of the tournament.

Against a more disciplined defense, the Brazilians were mostly unable to finish despite creating ample opportunities.

Brazil coach Pia Sundhage said she was disappointed with her team’s first half and inability to stick with the gameplan and not contesting quickly enough for possession. She said the failure to build cohesion in the first half was more of a problem for the team than the set-piece defense that conceded France’s second goal.

“I’m more disappointed we couldn’t make this a game where we play like the Brazilian style,” she said.

Veteran forward Marta, returning from injury for her sixth World Cup, went on in the 86th minute but wasn’t able to inspire a winner for Brazil.

Renard’s late winner lifted France to four competition points, one more than Brazil ahead of the last group games on Wednesday. The French will play Panama in Sydney, and Brazil will take on Jamaica in Melbourne.

Sweden 5, Italy 0

After leaving it to the last minute against South Africa, Sweden left nothing to chance Saturday in routing Italy in Wellington, New Zealand, which sealed its place in the knockout rounds of the Women’s World Cup.

Sweden relied on Amanda Ilestedt’s 90th-minute winner to salvage a 2-1 win from a sub-par performance in its opener against South Africa.

Ilestedt was Sweden’s first scorer Saturday, this time in the 39th, and her glancing header from a corner sparked a flood of four Swedish goals in 11 minutes on either side of halftime. Her second goal came in the 50th and was a mirror image of the first.

Rebecka Blomqvist finished it off in stoppage time with Sweden’s fifth goal.

The Swedish attack again looked hesitant in the first 20 minutes. Italy appeared more composed over the ball in that period and more threatening with Sofia Cantore particularly dangerous on the right. Cantore had the first shot on goal in the opening minute, finding the keeper at the near post, and Italy had five shots on goal before Sweden had its first.

But as the first half progressed, Sweden began to look more composed, more organized and then more ruthless. The crowd of just over 29,000 appeared to sense the change.

AC Milan midfielder Kosovare Asllani began to get behind the defense and while at first she didn’t find teammates forward to meet her crosses, her freedom marked a turning point in the match. Italy was forced to soak up more and more pressure until, at last, the dam broke.

Joanna Andersson curled the ball in from the right in the 39th and Ilestedt rose highest at the near post to glance the ball on a narrow angle into the net.

Fridolina Rolfo looked certain to score in the 43rd, one-on-one with Francesca Durante, but the goalkeeper threw herself toward Rolfo’s feet and snuffed out the threat.

The reprieve was short-lived and Rolfo had to wait only moments for her second goal of the tournament.

Another corner and this time the delivery eluded Durante and found Rolfo on the far post who headed home.

Rolfo turned deliverer in the first minute of stoppage time. Sent clear by a neat back-heel she passed low and beyond Durante, finding Stina Blackstenius, who tapped in. Arsenal’s Blackstenius couldn’t score against South Africa but she was pivotal to the Swedish attack Saturday; her goal was her 29th for the national team.

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