The FIFA women’s World Cup bade farewell to Melbourne and gallant Jamaica after a 1-0 loss to Colombia on Tuesday, but only after another rousing, rip-roaring match and occasion that screamed: come back soon.
When it was put to Jamaican coach Lorne Donaldson in the prelude that his 42nd ranked team was the Cinderella of the tournament, he replied: “I don’t know: Cinderella wears a pretty dress. If we can wear a pretty dress, we’ll put it on.”
As happened, 25th-ranked Colombia looked in the wardrobe and liked what they saw, and now the carriage is theirs until someone calls midnight. Meantime, they’re in the quarter-finals.
Colombian fans inside Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.Credit: AP
The Colombians ruled in the stands in yet another deafeningly full house – who knew there were so many Colombians in Melbourne, and that they were so loud? They also shaded Jamaica in the contest’s vital statistics and finished with the only one of all that matters.
It arrived in the 50th minute when Catalina Usme brought down a long, angled ball with one touch and with her left foot beat Deneisha Blackwood, who had played her onside, and slotted the ball past Rebecca Spencer. It was the first time the Jamaican goalkeeper had been passed in the tournament and would remain the last. But in four matches, they scored only one of their own.
Joyous feeling: Catalina Usme of Colombia got on the scoreboard.Credit: Getty Images
The crowd erupted, and the match grew more frenzied still as Jamaica pressed hard and chances fell to Colombia on the counterpunch. What already had been a vigorous match became a veritable riot of football colour and movement. The only metric that was not off the scale was the temperature; it sunk to single figures. Colombia held their form and their nerve.
This was from the start a highly willing contest, if lacking the finesse and fluency of matches featuring higher rated teams. Doubtlessly, the creeping cold and perhaps an early dewfall did not help with footing or timing.
The Colombians’ voices, which filled the stadium to bursting point to begin, became muted as Jamaica assured physically what they could not numerically: presence. Not since Chris Gayle has a Jamaican made themselves such a force here. One challenge would have been a free kick in AFLW across the road; it did draw a yellow card for Drew Spence. It is not strictly true that hands and arms have no place in soccer.
The solitary and winning goal for Colombia.Credit: Optus Sport
That’s not to say the Jamaicans depended on brute force alone – they did play Brazil out of the tournament – just that they were prepared to leave it all of themselves out there and if necessary bits of the Colombians, too. To be fair, the Colombians were not against a bit of byplay and exaggeration, but Victorian referee Kate Jacewicz was not easily impressed. She issued just enough cards to maintain control; otherwise, she let the cards fall where they may.
The contrast in styles made for a stop-start encounter. But what the Colombians lacked in robustness they made up for in an edge in class, and it was enough. Jamaica’s Spencer was the busier of the goalkeepers, but compatriot Spence might have levelled the match up in the 80th minute with an open header. It slithered wide.
Jamaica in many ways embody the growth of this tournament and the women’s game. Ten years ago, their women’s team disbanded because of a lack of funds. Reggae icon Bob Marley’s daughter Cedella came to the rescue, saying she was inspired by her father’s love of soccer.
Jamaica reached the finals for the first time in 2019, but were not guaranteed to make it to his tournament until midfielder Havana Solaun’s mother’s launched a crowd-funding campaign, raising $80,000. Playing for pocket money before full houses in a World Cup; they’re halfway between worlds. But they were value for money in this tournament.
Colombia, like Jamaica, were in the knockouts for the first time, but they had on their side a vastly bigger population, a deep soccer culture, ranking points, the crowd and its decibels and a burgeoning teenage superstar in 18-year-old Linda Calcedo, now of Real Madrid. In the scramble that was the last third of the match, it was she who had the best chances to put it to bed. Soon enough, it was thanks for coming, Jamaica, and sorry to leave you, Melbourne.
