DASH BOARD GLANCE OF QUARTERFINAL.

1ST QF. SPAIN VS NETHERLANDS AT WELLINGTON STADIUM ON FRIDAY 11TH AUGUST AT 0200 HOURS.

2ND QF. JAPAN VS SWEDEN AT AUCKLAND ON 11TH AUGUST AT 0830 HOURS.

3RD QF. AUS VS FRA/MOR AT BRISBANE ON 12TH AUGUST AT 0800 HOURS.

4TH QF. ENG VS COL AT SYDNEY ON 12TH AUGUST AT 1130 HOURS.

Players Jubilating

Captain fantastic, Catalina Usme of Columbia whose grandfather and father played football for the nation, Columbia on Tuesday led Columbia to their first quarterfinal like Moses led Israel out of Egypt with just a marvelous goal at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Australia in the round of 16 of the 2023 women’s world cup.

It was the only goal scored against the Reggae Girlz of Jamaica that had not conceded a single goal at the mundial that became the Achilles’ heel that stopped the fast becoming Reggae Jamz that followers had to party till the morning light.

Usme who scored in the 2-0 drubbing of Korea at the games, collected a pass from Ana Guzman who played out her heart in the match, controlled the ball and curled it into a far corner and that wiped off the record of clean sheet of Jamaica at the 2023 world cup.

The Powder-puff Girls of Columbia will now meet England that defeated Nigeria at the quarterfinal on Saturday 12th August at Stadium Australia in Sydney at 1130 hours.

To get to the Round of 16, Jamaica played a goalless draw with France on the 23rd of July; piped Panama 1-0 on 29th of July and played another barren draw with Brazil on the 2nd of August having three clean sheets (that means Jamaica is yet to concede a goal) and they scored only a goal so far.

To get to the round of 16, Columbia banged Korea 2-0 on 25th of July; defeated Germany 2-1 on 30th July and lost to Morocco 0-1 on 30th of July. Columbia scored four goals and conceded 2 vital goals.

This is the first game between the two countries at the world cup. Columbia has never won against CONCACAF teams as the nation drew a match and lost two while Jamaica are winless in their two games against South American teams drawing one.

In the only match between the two countries played on 13th July 2003, Jamaica lost by a lone goal.

This is the second appearance of Columbia at the round of 16 stages at the world cup after 2015 where they were eliminated at that stage by eventual winners USA 0-2. Among South American teams, only Brazil has managed to win a game at the Knockout stage in 1999 and 2007.

Jamaica qualified for the Knockout stage for the first time and they are the only third CONCACAF tem to reach that stage after USA and Canada.

Jamaica lost their three matches in 2019 at their debut but was unbeaten at the group stages in 2023. They became the second team to progress from the group stage despite scoring only a goal after China in 2019.

Columbia nicknamed THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, seem to have been fired up while on preparation for the tournament defeating Paraguay 2-0 on 20th November 2022; played goalless with USA on 29th January 2023; defeated Japan 2-1 on 28th March 2023; piped Iraq 1-0 on 16th June 2023 and on 20th June unbelievably beat Germany 2-0.

Columbia is in her third appearance at the world cup but her best performance was to place 12th at the games in Canada 2015 after losing to USA 0-2 in the Round of 16 at Edmonton on 22nd June.

Jamaica is in their second appearance at the world cup. In 2019 Jamaica lost all her three matches in group C that had Italy, Australia and Brazil scoring just a goal and conceding a whopping 12 goals.

The Jamaican girls had challenges of government acceptance or support because of assumed low performances. The team is backed by Ambassador Cecedalla Marley, daughter of Legendary Bob Marley the Reggae Crooner. She helps raise awareness for the team encourages development and provide for them financially.

At 12 noon today, it will be France versus African representative, Atlas Lionesses of Morocco at the Hindmarsh Stadium with Mexican Ref Caesar Palazuelos in charge

The first of the quarterfinals of the tournament will be played in the wee hours of Friday, West African Time of 0200 hours at Wellington Regional Stadium between Spain and Netherlands. Italian Ref Davide Massa will be in charge.

The second quarterfinals will be played at Eden Park same Friday at 0830 hours and it will be Japan versus Sweden.

By Eniola Olatunji