Brazil crash out as Jamaica hold firm to reach World Cup last 16 for first time

A giant Marta flag was unfurled behind the goal six minutes into the match, by which time Brazil had already ensured Jamaica’s goalkeeper, Rebecca Spencer, was well warmed up. But under a full moon and in front of a full house, the Brazilian veteran’s presence on the pitch was not enough to stop her team being knocked out of the Women’s World Cup.

The game was all Brazil, but the result was all Jamaica, who will progress to the last 16 for the first time after holding on for a goalless draw.

With Marta starting for the first time this tournament and Jamaica’s captain, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, back from suspension it looked to be an exciting match-up. It was completely one-sided, the Seleçao dominating possession from the get-go, relentlessly peppering the Reggae Girlz defence from all sides.

With the exception of one slip-up, Spencer was rock solid between the posts, rarely forced to stretch herself as Brazil’s shots comfortably found her gloves each time.

“I feel like we’ve been hugely underestimated,” said Spencer, who won the player of the match award after her third clean sheet of the tournament. “I don’t think anyone took us seriously. We’re resilient and we had a point to prove.”

Despite chances early in the first half, it was not until the 39th minute that Brazil truly turned up the heat, moving the ball around the edge of the penalty area and allowing themselves to be more creative. After an initial attempt was cleared unconvincingly, Ary Borges was able to pounce, scooping it over the defence to Tamires on the left who fired off a shot just inside the near post to a waiting Spencer.

The first half ended without Jamaica having been able to connect a string of more than five or so passes. Their only chances coming from sharp counterattacks led by Shaw, Drew Spence and Atlanta Primus, which did leave Brazil looking nervous at times but ultimately fizzled out. Spence worked incredibly hard in the midfield, as well as making crucial clearances inside the area.

The equation for Jamaica and Brazil changed briefly in the first half when Panama’s Marta Cox scored a belter from a free kick to take the lead against France in the other Group F match in Sydney. That was quickly reset and the situation in Melbourne remained the same: Jamaica needing a draw to progress, Brazil requiring a win.

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That was brought sharply into focus in the second half. The Brazilian drums never stopped but they were increasingly punctuated with boos whenever a Jamaican player took to the turf for an extended period. The passionate, and mostly Brazilian, crowd was well aware that a draw would mean a shock early exit for their team.

The frustration in the stands was reflected with desperation on the pitch for Brazil. Crosses into the box did not find their targets. Runs up the flank from substitute Bia Zaneratto were thwarted at the final touch with mis-timed passes. Corners and free-kicks amounted to naught. Debinha and Marta could not connect.

At the other end, the lone forward Shaw was equally failing at the final ball or left high on her own with no one to support her counterattacking runs. She cut a dejected figure at times – hanging her head and flapping her arms at her side in irritation. Shaw’s best chance came in the 82nd minute after a sliding Spence flicked on the ball at the halfway line. On the run, Shaw was able to outmuscle the defender but sent her shot over the crossbar, falling on to her back in disappointment.

The frantic final minutes produced chances for both sides. Brazil’s last corner resulted in a scramble in the middle of the six-yard box before the ball popped up for Debinha to head straight to Spencer. Pia Sundhage’s side failing at the final ball, again and again.

Seconds later, Shaw fell to the grass once more – but this time her Reggae Girlz all fell with her. They defied the odds to hold France to a draw in their first game and they repeated that here to face the winners of Group H on Tuesday.

“They did a good job and we weren’t able to make many chances,” Sundhage said. “When we could not break the defence, you get a little bit stressed. And if you get stressed, it was a little bit slow and you lose a little bit of the courage.”