Tag: Jamaica

2023 Women’s World Cup Day 14 Recap: South Africa and Jamaica make history

South Africa and Jamaica have reached the knockout stage of the Women’s World Cup for the first time

Day 14 of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup marked the second-to-last day of the group stage, as the final pieces of the puzzle have begun to fall into place.

However, before we get into all the action from Day 14, here is your daily reminder that you can follow the entirety of the World Cup right here at Pro Soccer Wire! You can get the full TV/streaming schedule, an updated list of the group stage standings, and the rankings in this year’s race for the Golden Boot.

Now, let’s see how the games played out on Day 14.

Jamaica’s head coach did a perfect celebratory summersault after his team upset Brazil

The perfect reaction to your team upsetting Brazil and moving on at the World Cup.

Making the round of 16 in the World Cup is a big deal. The Jamaican Women’s National Team experienced that joy for the first time ever on Wednesday with an impressive and unexpected 0-0 draw with global powerhouse Brazil.

Thanks to the tie — and coupled with a tie against France and a win over Panama — the Reggae Girlz are moving on from the group stage. Jamaica’s defense was stalwart, getting crucial stops late to hold onto their spot in the knockout stage.

MORE: Jamaica goalkeeper withstands 94th minute flurry to knockout Brazil in stunning World Cup run

As the final whistle blew, the celebrations from the Jamaican squad started, led by head coach Lorne Donaldson. While it’s not entirely clear if his double summersault was planned, it certainly is perfection.

While Jamaica has never progressed to the round of 16, don’t think for a second that they don’t belong. Draws against two top-8 teams in the world — No. 5 France and No. 8 Brazil — show that the Reggae Girlz are not just a fun story. They’ll try and continue this magical run against the Group F winner (which could be Colombia) on Tuesday, August 8.

Until then, we’ll be rolling in celebration.

Jamaica goalkeeper withstands 94th minute flurry to knockout Brazil in stunning World Cup run

An iconic moment for the Jamaican team as they make history.

Jamaica has stunned the world and is moving on to the knockout stage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup thanks to a 0-0 draw against Brazil in its final game of group play. The Reggae Girlz have impressed through three games, notching ties with No. 5 France — the other team moving on from Group F — and No. 8 Brazil and defeating Panama 1-0.

The tie with long-time football powerhouse Brazil meant Jamaica would earn the second spot in the round of 16, but things got dicey late as Brazil had a flurry of chances in the 94th minute.

MORE: Carli Lloyd rips USWNT for dancing, smiling with fans after World Cup draw against Portugal

In desperate need of a goal with time dwindling, Brazil lined up for a corner kick. The service went right into the center of the box with Brazil getting two excellent chances before Becky Spencer nabbed the ball and pulled it to safety.

The final whistle would sound shortly after, making history for Jamaica as it is the team’s first time in the round of 16.

2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Day 10 Recap: France sneaks by Brazil

France got a late winner against Brazil in one of the marquee matchups of the group stage

On Day 10 of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, things got interesting. From late winners to dominant blowouts, the three-game slate had it all. The day featured Sweden taking on Italy, France facing off against Brazil, and Panama playing Jamaica.

But before we get into all that, here is your daily reminder that you can get all of your World Cup content right here at Pro Soccer Wire! We have the full TV/streaming schedule, an updated list of the group stage standings, and the rankings in this year’s race for the Golden Boot.

Let’s see how the games played out on Day 10 of the event.

2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Day 4 Recap: Jamaica earns shocking draw

Jamaica’s surprising draw against mighty France highlighed the fourth day of action

On Day 4 of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, there was plenty to get excited about. From marquee matchups to surprising finishes, there was a lot of intrigue. In the opening match, Sweden took on South Africa. That was followed by Netherlands against Portugal, while France and Jamaica wrapped up the day.

But before we get into the games, here is a quick reminder that you can keep up with the entirety of the World Cup right here at Pro Soccer Wire. Make sure to check out the TV/streaming schedule, an updated list of the group stage standings, and a look at the race for the Golden Boot.

Now, let’s see how Day 4 went down.

USMNT salvages late Gold Cup draw as second-choice side struggles vs. Jamaica

The USMNT really missed its big names vs. the Reggae Boyz

The U.S. men’s national team was hoping to keep the good times rolling in the Gold Cup, but the party rarely lasts in CONCACAF.

With almost no overlap between the squad that won the recent Nations League final with ease and the roster for the Gold Cup, a largely second-choice USMNT struggled through a sloppy Group A opener against Jamaica, saving a 1-1 draw thanks to a late Brandon Vazquez goal.

While the USMNT will take some positives from the performance of its substitutes, the overall showing at Chicago’s Soldier Field made it clear that this tournament won’t be the cakewalk seen in the Nations League.

The USMNT took some exception to Damion Lowe only collecting a yellow card after a knee-high challenge on James Sands. They were probably a bit more upset ten minutes later, as the Philadelphia Union center back’s flying header gave the Reggae Boyz the lead.

A stagnant USMNT was getting nowhere near threatening Andre Blake, and seemed set to receive even more bad news in the 27th minute. Aidan Morris clearly caught Kevon Lambert with a clumsy, flailing kick, gifting Jamaica a penalty kick.

However, Matt Turner would come up big, saving Leon Bailey’s effort from the spot, and the Aston Villa midfielder would inexplicably send the rebound wide of an empty net.

A halftime break to sort out a disjointed performance made no real difference, as the USMNT’s build-up patterns ran into a wall of yellow shirts at midfield time and again.

Finally, with Cade Cowell, Cristian Roldan, and Djordje Mihailovic entering as second-half substitutes, the U.S. started to find ways into the final third. At long last, a lifeless game had some kind of momentum.

However, even when they opened Jamaica’s defense up, it just wasn’t the USMNT’s night. Mihailovic, Cowell, and Jesús Ferreira combined on a 71st minute chance, only for Blake to somehow deny Roldan. The follow-up? Aidan Morris got there, only to blast a shot straight into Roldan’s head.

At long last, with interim coach B.J. Callaghan throwing all of his weapons into the fray, the last gamble paid off. Brandon Vazquez, not long after entering the match as the final U.S. sub, calmly finished from seven yards after Ferreira’s delicate cross was blocked into his path.

Snatching a draw will keep the USMNT in position to win the group, but the overall performance may hurt the case for many individual players in terms of breaking into the full-strength squad.

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Jamaica WNT calls out federation for lack of support ahead of World Cup

The Reggae Girlz say JFF promises have gone unfulfilled yet again

Jamaica is just weeks away from playing in this summer’s World Cup, and their women’s national team would love it if their federation could get its act together.

Instead, the players have found themselves calling out the Jamaica Football Federation for what they say is a lack of preparedness and support.

In a statement the team’s players posted on social media on Thursday, the Reggae Girlz laid out the issues they’ve been having with the JFF.

“At a time where we should be focused solely on preparing to compete on the world’s largest stage, we are unfortunately compelled to express our utmost disappointment with the Jamaica Football Federation,” read the statement.

“We hope that by using our platforms to express the reality of our situation, our efforts will be reciprocated. We hope there will be immediate and systematic change within our federation and those in charge of protecting the integrity of women’s football.”

The JFF’s trouble giving proper funding and resources to their women’s national team is a longstanding issue. Most notably, Cedella Marley — daughter of reggae legend Bob Marley — has spent years supporting the team financially and otherwise, stepping into a gap left by the federation heading into the 2019 World Cup.

The program was dormant from 2010-14, and again for a spell in 2016. Head coaches have worked on an unpaid basis, and the team has had to pay for its own food at times, or jackets during cold-weather CONCACAF qualifying events. The team went on strike in 2019, claiming that the JFF owed them nine months of pay.

Based on the account offered by the current squad, little has changed.

“On multiple occasions, we have sat down with the federation to respectfully express concerns resulting from subpar planning, transportation, accommodations, training conditions, compensation, communication, nutrition, and accessibility to proper resources. We have also showed up repeatedly without receiving contractually agreed upon compensation. We were told that all our requests and concerns would be resolved in a timely manner,” said the statement.

“Unfortunately, that time has expired and once again our questions go unanswered and our concerns unresolved.”

The matter is dire enough that Houston Dash midfielder Havana Solaun’s mother launched a GoFundMe to support the team’s trip to the World Cup, where they will face Brazil, France, and Panama in Group F.

The players noted that Jamaica has missed numerous FIFA international windows this year, losing valuable chances to prepare the squad for the daunting prospect of a group including two World Cup favorites. Per Soccerway, their only matches in 2023 were at the Cup of Nations in February, while the JFF’s YouTube page includes video of an April friendly between the Reggae Girlz and Sheffield United.

At the time of publication, the official JFF site did not list any pre-World Cup friendlies for its women’s team.

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USMNT to visit Chicago, St, Louis and Charlotte in Gold Cup group stage

The U.S. will face Jamaica, Nicaragua and a team to be determined in Group A

After learning who it would play in the Gold Cup group stage last week, the U.S. men’s national team now knows where it will play.

CONCACAF released the schedule for the 2023 Gold Cup on Tuesday, just days after conducting the draw at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which will host the final on July 16.

The USMNT will have the honor of opening this year’s Gold Cup on June 24 when it faces Jamaica at Soldier Field in Chicago.

The defending champions will then face the winner of preliminary game No. 9 (one of Curaçao, Saint Kitts and Nevis, French Guiana, or Sint Maarten) on June 28 at CITYPARK in St. Louis, and will conclude Group A play with a match against Nicaragua at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on July 2.

Should the USMNT advance from Group A, its quarterfinal would be on July 9 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati. The semifinal will then be held on July 12 at either Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego or Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with each stadium set to host one semifinal match.

Meanwhile, Mexico will begin its Group B campaign against Honduras at Houston’s NRG Stadium on June 25, and then face Haiti at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on June 29 and Qatar at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on July 2.

USMNT Gold Cup group stage schedule (times ET)

June 24: United States vs Jamaica – Soldier Field, Chicago, IL, 9:30 p.m.
June 28: Winner Prelims 9 vs United States – CITYPARK, St. Louis, MO, 9:30 p.m.
July 2: United States vs Nicaragua – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC, 7 p.m.

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Wayne Rooney has seen enough of Ravel Morrison at D.C. United

The former wonderkid is now looking for the 14th team of his career

Just as quickly as Wayne Rooney decided he needed Ravel Morrison at D.C. United, the coach has determined he, in fact, doesn’t need the midfielder after all.

Rooney signed Morrison midway through the 2022 season, with the Jamaica international signing a one-and-a-half-year deal. The 30-year-old was later revealed to be on a guaranteed salary of $917,844, making him the club’s fourth-highest earner last season.

Rooney and Morrison have a lengthy history together, first as teammates at Manchester United and then later when Rooney served as Morrison’s coach at Derby County.

But despite the pair’s ties and Morrison’s high salary, it appears the midfielder will once again be forced to seek out a new team.

In his post-game press conference after D.C. United’s season-opening win against Toronto FC, Rooney confirmed that Morrison wasn’t in his plans for 2023.

“As coach you have to make decisions,” Rooney said when asked why Morrison wasn’t in the squad. “I felt in the offseason with the players we were bringing in and just different things you need to look at in terms of obviously the the budget, the international slot, etcetera. I just felt it was more important to have different players in for different positions which I felt were more important to me in the upcoming season.”

For his part, Morrison appears to be unhappy with the club’s decision, posting on his Instagram: “Some people will sell you a dream and deliver a nightmare.”

Morrison will now be on the lookout for the 14th team of a nomadic career that began with huge promise at Old Trafford.

Former United defender Rio Ferdinand called Morrison “the best young kid I have ever seen in my life,” while Rooney himself said in a 2020 Sunday Tines column that Morrison was better than Paul Pogba “by a country mile” when the two players were coming up through United’s academy.

But Morrison’s work ethic and attitude have been questioned throughout his career, which was highlighed in a clip from the 2022 Netflix mini-series “Captains.”

In the clip, Jamaica captain Andre Blake describes Morrison as the team’s “one big problem,” saying his teammate “wreaks havoc” while decrying his selfishness during one moment of a game.

Morrison made 14 appearances in his half season with D.C. United, scoring two goals.

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Kameron Simmonds joining Jamaica’s women’s national team

Lady Vols’ Kameron Simmonds is joining Jamaica’s women’s national team.

Tennessee freshman forward Kameron Simmonds is joining the senior Jamaican women’s national team ahead of the Cup of Nations Tournament.

The Cup of Nations Tournament will take place Feb. 16-22 in Australia.

The four-team tournament will feature Australia, Czechia, Jamaica and Spain.

The six-match tournament will kickoff at Industree Group Stadium in Gosford on Feb. 16. Spain will play Jamaica followed by Australia versus Czechia to open tournament play.

Jamaica will travel to Sydney against Czechia on Feb. 19 before ending tournament play versus Australia on Feb. 22.

Simmonds appeared in 16 matches for the Lady Vols in 2022, scoring four goals on 23 shots (13 on goal).

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