Women’s World Cup: France, the fifth-ranked team in the world, was held to a 0-0 draw by Jamaica in their opening match of the Women’s World Cup on Sunday. The result was a major surprise, as Jamaica had never before earned a point in World Cup play.
France dominated possession throughout the match, but they were unable to break down the Jamaican defense. The Reggae Girlz defended stoutly, and they were helped by a number of saves from goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer.
France had several chances to score, but they were unable to convert. Kadidiatou Diani had the best chance of the match in the 90th minute, but her header hit the bar and then the post.
The draw leaves France and Jamaica level on points at the top of Group F. Brazil and Panama will play their opening match of the tournament later today.
Key takeaways from the match:
- Jamaica’s defense was the star of the show. They were organized and disciplined, and they made it very difficult for France to create chances.
- France’s attack was wasteful. They had several opportunities to score, but they were unable to finish their chances.
- The match was a physical affair. There were a number of hard challenges, and both teams picked up yellow cards.
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What’s next for France and Jamaica?
France will next face Brazil on Saturday. France is currently ranked number one in the FIFA World Rankings, while Brazil is ranked number two. Both teams are coming off of successful campaigns in the UEFA Nations League, with France winning the title and Brazil finishing as runners-up.
The match will be played on July 29, 2023, at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France. This is a neutral venue, which means that neither team will have home advantage.
The two teams have met a total of 35 times in the past, with Brazil winning 17 of those matches, France winning 10, and 8 matches being drawn. The most recent meeting between the two teams was in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where France won 2-1 in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile Jamaica will face Panama on Friday. The top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout stage.
Overall, the match was a disappointing result for France. They were the heavy favorites, but they were unable to get their game going against a hardworking Jamaican side. The Reggae Girlz will be buoyed by the result, and they will be confident of getting a result against Panama in their next match.