Jamaica need ‘something special’ to make more history at World Cup

Jamaica will need “something special” if they are to get the point they need against Brazil to reach the Women’s World Cup last 16, their coach Lorne Donaldson said.

The Reggae Girlz made history for Jamaica on Saturday when they won a Women’s World Cup game for the first time with a 1-0 victory over Panama.

Having held a strongly fancied France 0-0 in their opening match, Jamaica have four points and need only to draw with Brazil on Wednesday to reach the knockouts for the first time.

That would also send Brazil home.

But Donaldson warned he anticipated a “dogfight” in Melbourne and warned that sitting back to defend a point against an attacking Brazil would invite trouble.

“They have a lot of flair,” Donaldson said of a Brazil side who were scintillating in a 4-0 thrashing of Panama but disappointing in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to France.

“They play one way, and they’re going to play that way.

“We have to come out and do something special to get something out of the game.”

Jamaica’s World Cup exploits come against the backdrop of rows with the Jamaican football federation over a lack of support for the team and unpaid expenses.

“If you had asked me before the World Cup that we have the last game to decide our fate, I would have said yes, give it to us,” Donaldson said.

“That’s what we wanted, we wanted to have a chance to play for something in the last game.

“When we look at it, after the adversity that we had, we knew as a group that give us a chance and we can (do something).

“I think it’s wonderful that we still have a chance to do something.”

Allyson Swaby, whose header early in the second half was the winner against Panama, said Jamaica’s first World Cup victory — at the fifth try — was “just a matter of time”.

“It’s huge, it’s motivating and it’s exciting,” she added. (BSS/AFP)