Jamaica 🇯🇲 and South Africa 🇿🇦 Make History

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It’s Wednesday, August 2nd. Give us four minutes, we give you everything World Cup.

“OKAY LAST ONE, WE ARE GETTING ON THE BUS NOW”

• South Africa celebrated placing second in Group G, qualifying for their first-ever knockout round appearance in the World Cup. Banyana Banyana erupted in a joy that emanated in song and dance from the pitch to the locker room to the bus.

I. Jamaica make CONCACAF history; End Marta’s World Cup 🇯🇲🇧🇷

In just their second World Cup, the Reggae Girlz have become the first CONCACAF nation beyond the United States and Canada to qualify for the Women’s World Cup’s knockout round. EVER. They did so in formidable fashion, entering Group F with a fearless belief and impenetrable defending met by a punishing counter attack. With three straight clean sheets, Jamaica held both France and Brazil to 0-0 draws and defeated Panama 1-0 to place second in the group.

Notably, heroically, though hopefully for not much longer, they did so as well without the support needed from their federation to properly train and prepare, having to run multiple crowdsourcing campaigns to support their journey.

At the end of the match the reggae anthems of Bob Marley encased Melbourne Rectangular Stadium while the Reggae Girlz celebrated, marking the history they made for their nation and region with impassioned team huddles, dancing, a victory lap, and for their exceptionally talented leader Manchester City’s Bunny Shaw, with prayer.

At the other end of history, playing out before us in Melbourne, a devastated Brazil collapsed upon the field and into each other, having just been knocked out of the World Cup. One of just seven nations to qualify for every edition of the tournament, the exit was far earlier than planned for a nation hoping to send their talismanic icon, the irreplaceable Marta, out of her sixth and final World Cup with her first trophy on this stage.

Alas, it was not to be, for in football as in life, the duality of devastation and elation often visit side by side.

Respect for Marta emanated beyond the Brazilian roster, surrounded the stadium, and included the victorious Jamaican players themselves. Multiple among them spoke with Marta, showing gratitude for her legacy. That includes Bunny Shaw.

In an emotional post-match interview, Marta told reporters: “For me, it’s the end of the line. For them, it’s just the beginning.”

II. South Africa shocks Italy, qualifies for first-ever Round of 16 🇿🇦

Banyana Banyana are among the latest history-makers in a tournament marked by firsts.

This time in Wellington, New Zealand, it was the reigning champions of WAFCON that became the second African nation to qualify for this year’s knockout rounds (they join Nigeria). The victory comes as no surprise for Desiree Ellis’ side, who’ve challenged every opponent in Group G on their way to placing second behind Sweden.

As with all of South Africa’s group stage matches, it was a back and forth contest that Banyana Banyana fought until the end.

La Azzurre scored first, an eleventh minute penalty from Arianna Caruso (Juventus), who went on to collect a brace in the second half. But building on an early own goal, Banyana Banyana responded twice more to claim the victory, coalescing with a 92nd minute stoppage time winner from Racing Louisville’s Thembi Kgatlana.

They celebrated just as they had entered this tournament, in jubilant song, emanating from the locker room to the team bus, and into the Round of 16.

III. Sweden confirmed as US opponent in Round of 16 🇸🇪🇺🇸

It took Sweden 66 minutes to find a goal against Argentina, but they left with two as they topped Group G in New Zealand on Wednesday. The Swedes will meet the USA in Melbourne this Sunday, as the familiar tournament foes square off in the Round of 16.

The US and Sweden have met several times under high stakes, with the Swedes providing a reliable challenge to the US. That includes in every World Cup going back to 2003, though this will be the first time they’ve met outside of the group stage.

Ironically, the last time the US placed second in their World Cup group was in 2011, when they placed second to Sweden after losing to them in Wolfsburg. The US did fight on to find the final that year, where they fell to Japan.

Most recently, the pair met in Tokyo, where the US fell 3-0 to Sweden at the onset of a startling bronze medal campaign.

IV. Coming up: last gasp of the groups 🌏🏆

With an incredible run of games already in our rearview, Thursday marks the final round of the groups as Group H settles things off in Australia.

A brief respite from competition follows on Friday, when the routine of football in the early morning will leave America yearning with its absence (or perhaps you’ll simply sleep).

Then the Round of 16 begins in earnest. Come Saturday in New Zealand, Spain will meet Switzerland in Auckland, while Japan finds Norway in Wellington. But first:

Germany vs South Korea (6 a.m. EST, FOX, Peacock, Universo) 🇩🇪🇰🇷

Germany enters this match in second place after falling 2-1 to Colombia. South Korea has yet to claim a point at this tournament, and with a vengeful Germany looking to secure their place in the knockouts, it seems likely they may go home without one.

Morocco vs Colombia (6 a.m. EST, FS1, Peacock, Telemundo) 🇲🇦🇨🇴

Morocco meet their final match having just secured their first-ever World Cup victory against South Korea. They meet an exciting Colombian side that’s impressed in both their displays with back-to-back victories and a defeat of Germany powered by two electrifying goals. While Morocco may be riding the momentum of victory themselves, this 18-year-old prodigy Linda Caicedo electrified Colombia looks ready to take all nine points as they finish first in Group H.

V. News and Notes

FIFA planned match times surrounding the presumption that the USWNT place first in the group, allowing for amenable timezones if that happened. A look at how they planned that, and why they can’t change it now.

VI. Parting Shots

“If you ever needed a wake-up call I’d say this year with the ACLs is it. If nobody wakes up now then we’ve got a bit of a problem. ACLs alone there’s 37 players missing from this World Cup which is disgusting.”

Leah Williamson (Arsenal) spoke out about a spate of ACLs in women’s football (including her own) that has lurked in the background of this World Cup.