France Held to Goalless Draw in Fiery Women's World Cup Opener, Star Player Sent Off
Jamaica frustrates France to a scoreless draw in their Women's World Cup opener, with Khadija Shaw being sent off A valuable point for Jamaica, while France faces the challenge of improving their finishing What's next for both teams? Find out!
Khadija Shaw's dismissal in the 92nd minute resulted in Jamaica managing to secure a goalless draw against a profligate France in their Group F opener of the Women's World Cup. Throughout the match, Shaw, the captain of Jamaica, had been leading their attack, but her excessive challenges on Sakina Karchaoui and Wendie Renard led to her being shown two yellow cards and ultimately being sent off.
Shaw will be absent for Jamaica's upcoming second group game against Panama next weekend.
However, despite this setback, the Reggae Girlz were able to celebrate their first-ever World Cup point at the end of the match. They held fifth-ranked France to a goalless draw, which is a noteworthy achievement in the tournament.
France should have won the game considering the number of chances they had, but unfortunately, they wasted many opportunities. Kadidiatou Diani was particularly guilty as her performance was epitomized by a 90th-minute header that hit the top of the crossbar.
Additionally, the absence of some important players was evident for France. This gives new manager Herve Renard plenty to focus on and work on before their second group game against Brazil.
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How Jamaica held France in Sydney
It was a disjointed opening, with neither side able to have a sustained period on the ball amid a number of set-pieces.But France had three excellent opportunities in the last 10 minutes of the first half. Diani skillfully positioned herself on the right side of the box, but her half volley was brilliantly saved by Becky Spencer. Renard then narrowly missed a header from close range following a corner. Just moments before the halftime whistle, Diani unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box that narrowly missed the target, coming mere inches away from scoring the opening goal.
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Kadidiatou Diani missed a string of chances for France
Shaw had the opportunity to score for France but her powerful free-kick missed the far post just before the first half ended without any goals.
In the second half, Les Bleues showed improvement but still failed to convert their major chances, particularly Diani. Within 10 minutes, Diani came close to scoring when she met a beautiful cross from Eugenie Le Sommer. However, despite getting above Tiernny Wiltshire, she was unable to accurately direct her header towards the goal.
Diani approached nearer in the 67th minute, following a prompt intervention from substitute Kenza Dali. The talented Aston Villa midfielder gracefully delivered a cross into the box for her teammate, but, once again, Diani directed her header wide of the desired target.
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It was a physical game in Sydney, punctuated with free-kicks and set-pieces
Le Sommer and Maelle Lakrar came close to scoring. However, France's performance was best captured when Diani's header hit the top of the crossbar with just a minute left, and Le Sommer couldn't capitalize on the rebound.
The game in Sydney became even more intense in the final moments as Shaw received a second yellow card for clumsily fouling Renard. After her earlier foul on Karchaoui, the referee had no option but to send Shaw off, dampening the overall positive performance of the Reggae Girlz.
There were gleeful celebrations at full-time from Jamaica, while Euro 2022 semi-finalists France now have work to do to reach the knockout rounds.
Why Jamaica's first World Cup point will mean so much
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Jamaica celebrated their first Women's World Cup point at full-time
We' Charlotte Marsh:
Jamaica's goalless draw in the Women's World Cup may not generate much excitement, but it holds immense significance for several reasons. Firstly, it marks Jamaica's inaugural point ever obtained in a World Cup, signifying a pivotal milestone for their developing team. Additionally, this result has the potential to ignite their journey towards even greater achievements, both in this tournament and in future endeavors.
Managing to achieve this against the fifth-ranked team in France adds an additional layer as well. It's worth noting that this accomplishment was not against another emerging team, of which there are numerous ones in the inaugural 32-team World Cup, but against a formidable team with aspirations of reaching the latter stages.
Jamaica proved themselves and this will undoubtedly provide them with significant encouragement for future endeavors.
Despite facing off-field issues prior to the World Cup, the team's performance becomes all the more remarkable. In an effort to secure funds for Jamaica's participation in the tournament, Havana Solaun's mother initiated a GoFundMe page. The team has expressed disappointment with the support provided by the Jamaican Football Federation, stating that it was below expectations.
In an unconventional yet noteworthy practice, Cedella Marley, daughter of Bob Marley, has been a longstanding supporter and financial contributor to the success of the Reggae Girlz on the international stage. This demonstrates the ongoing challenges that women's football encounters.
Tragedy has also struck. Jedine Carr was fatally shot while on her way to training just days before Jamaica secured their qualification for the World Cup. After defeating Haiti to make it to their second consecutive tournament, Shaw proudly wore a shirt with Carr's name on it.
Given the numerous adversities they have encountered, it is understandable why the Jamaica team celebrated their goalless draw with such enthusiasm. Let us hope that this talented group of players continues to experience more success in the future.
What's next?
Group F is set to resume on Saturday, July 29th, featuring an exciting clash between France and Brazil. Additionally, Jamaica will go head-to-head with Panama in their upcoming match.Concluding the group stage, the final group games are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, August 2nd. France will be facing off against Panama, while Jamaica will wrap up their group fixtures with a decisive match against Brazil.
What is the schedule?
The commencement of the group stage marks the initiation of a captivating two-week period, culminating on August 3. Those emerging as victors and runners-up from the groups will advance to the enthralling round of 16, slated to take place between August 5 and August 8.An exciting lineup of quarter-final matches is scheduled for August 11 and 12, set to unfold in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane, and Sydney.
The first semi-final is scheduled for August 15 in Auckland, while the second semi-final will occur on August 16 at the Accor Stadium in Sydney. The final will be held at the Accor Stadium on August 20. Additionally, a third-place play-off is set to take place in Brisbane on August 19, the day before the final.
