(Melbourne) Catalina Usme found the back of the net in the second half as Colombia shut out Jamaica 1-0 on Tuesday at the Women’s World Cup.
The Colombians secured their first quarter-final match of the tournament, as both teams sought to secure their first win in the knockout stage.
Colombia, which had not even qualified for the Women’s World Cup in 2019, played a physical and tough match.
18-year-old sensation Linda Caicedo created several scoring chances and tested the Jamaican defence, which had yet to allow a goal during the tournament.
Colombia now meet England in the quarter-finals on Saturday after the latter beat Nigeria in a penalty shootout.
Usme cried out during her celebration after accepting a long pass from Ana Guzman and scoring in the 52nd minute. When she was substituted late in the game, Colombian fans chanted her name.
We expected a duel between Caicedo and Jamaican Khadija Shaw, but it was Usme’s goal that finally made the difference.
Shaw proved an attacking force for Manchester City last season, scoring 20 goals in 22 league games. She was unable to hit the mark at the Women’s World Cup.
The ‘Reggae Girlz’ only scored one goal during the tournament, Allyson Swaby’s header in a 1-0 win over Panama.
Eugénie Le Sommer scored twice as France edged Morocco 4-0 to advance to the quarter-finals.
Le Sommer, France’s all-time leading scorer, scored in each of the two halves as her side earned their ticket to a clash against tournament co-hosts Australia.
Australia advanced to the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Denmark on Monday. Star forward Sam Kerr has also made a comeback.
Kadidiatou Diani, Kenza Dali and Le Sommer gave France a 3-0 lead after just 23 minutes at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide.
Le Sommer scored France’s fourth goal in the second half to end Morocco’s historic run at the Women’s World Cup.
The Moroccans, on their debut in the tournament, became the first Arab nation to take part in the knockout phase.
They also became the first Arab team to record a victory when they got the better of South Korea in the group stage. They followed up their success by beating Colombia to advance to the next round rather than world second-placed Germany.
France, one of the favorites of the tournament, however, were too strong for the women of Reynald Pedros.