Colombia vs Jamaica: Two underdog sides both battling to make history
Underdogs Colombia and Jamaica will be battling to make history as both teams square off in the round of 16. At the end of this match, one of these two teams will be featuring in the quarter-finals for the first time ever, which is an impressive feat considering that neither Jamaica nor Colombia were placed in easy quartets.
Colombia, who are featuring in the round of 16 for the second time, were placed in Group H, alongside debutants Morocco and heavyweights Germany with South Korea completing the group. Given the fact that Germany are among the best teams in women’s football, it’s only natural that many expected them to top Group H easily, leaving it to be a battle for second between the other three sides. However, not only did Nelson Abadia’s side get out of their group, but they did so as runners-up following a stunningly brilliant campaign that saw them pick up six points from their three games.
The South Americans opened their campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over South Korea, but they saved their best performance for matchday two, when they pulled off one of the biggest upsets of this summer’s World Cup by beating Germany 2-1. Although Germany had not been in their best form leading up to this competition, their experience at this level nonetheless made them the heavy favorites, so Colombia’s victory was something certainly to be celebrated. Despite losing their final match 1-0 to Morocco, Colombia had still done enough to secure a spot in the round of 16 as Group H’s winners, while Germany were ultimately dumped out following a 1-1 draw with an already-eliminated South Korea.
Meanwhile, Jamaica are into the knockout rounds for the first time in history thanks to a stunning campaign that saw them finish second in a quartet that featured top-ten sides France and Brazil, plus debutants Panama. Four years ago, the Reggae Girlz lost all three of their group stage games without scoring a goal. Flash-forward to 2023, and not only did they keep clean sheets against France, Panama, and Brazil, but also grabbed their first goal, their first win, and qualified for the round of 16 at the expense of heavily-favored Brazil.
While this game may not have the same billing as some of the other round of 16 ties, such as Sweden vs the USA, it still will surely be an intriguing one as neither team were expected to get this far. Both teams have captured fans’ imagination so far this summer, as many viewers do enjoy seeing a Cinderella story – and this competition has provided its fair share of them. Thanks to an expanded field, teams like South Africa, Morocco, Colombia, and Jamaica have all had a chance to compete in the knockout rounds, and in the case of Colombia vs. Jamaica, one of these two teams will have the chance to further make history.
Will the Reggae Girlz, who have faced plenty of adversity even to keep their program up and running, be able to add another chapter to their story? Or will Colombia, who also have had to battle for every small win, continue upsetting the odds, with the winner of this match set to face England on Saturday?
