Richard Callis / SPP
The fourth and final day of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Round of 16 started with Colombia beating Jamaica while France taking on Morocco will round out the day.
Couldn’t watch and need to know what the big story is? This is what happened on the fourth day of the World Cup Round of 16.
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Colombia 1, Jamaica 0
The Big Story: Regardless of who moved on, it would be the first time either country made it to the quarterfinals in a World Cup. After losing to the United States in their first time in a Round of 16 match back in 2015, Colombia punched their ticket to a quarterfinals face-off with England with a 1-0 win over Jamaica.
The Big Moment: Jamaica came into the knockouts as the last team who had not yet conceded (Japan came in that way as well but conceded against Norway in their Round of 16 match). Colombia broke Jamaica’s shutout streak when in the 51st minute Catalina Usme’s left-footed shot found the netting.
What it means: The first half began with a solid game of pinball between the boxes. Neither team was able to fully build the way they wanted without a physical pressure interrupting it and recovering the ball. A true battle in the midfield, referee Kate Jacewicz was not calling much in terms of fouls, with the first of the night not coming until the 20th minute.
Colombia’s counter-press led to multiple chances but they were unable to get the ball past Jamaican goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer in their seven shots. Jamaica narrowly won possession in the half but was unable to get a shot off after the 3rd minute until stoppage time. Colombia definitely looked the more dangerous of the two throughout the first half.
Jamaica immediately responded to the Colombian goal by earning a dangerous free kick that required a goal-line clearance by a Colombian defender. On the counterattack to that set piece, Linda Caicedo got on a breakaway but some phenomenal goalkeeping from Spencer kept the score at 1-0. Jamaica was able to get into the Colombian final third a bit more in the second half, but the Colombian defense of their box stayed true.
It was Jamaica’s first loss of the tournament that sent them home, a stark difference from their three-loss World Cup debut in 2019. Their defense held firm against powerhouses France and Brazil and is something that will continue to be dangerous in the years to come. . The Caribbean side only scored one goal across the four games in this World Cup, and missing Bunny Shaw due to suspension didn’t help that. But looking forward, once Jamaica can pair their defense with some more goalscoring, they will find themselves moving further in the tournament. It is important to note that the dramatic difference between the 2019 and 2023 World Cup really comes down to the players and their drive, despite a lack of support from the Jamaican Football Federation.
Colombia will face off against England in the quarterfinals Saturday, August 12 at 6:30 am ET.
— Taylor Vincent
