Jamaica vows to ship Colombia Ladies’s World Cup knockout punch

Jamaica’s Allyson Swaby, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening objective throughout the Ladies’s World Cup Group F soccer match between Panama and Jamaica in Perth, Australia, Saturday, July 29, 2023. Jamaica gained 1-0. (AP Photograph/Gary Day)

Jamaica coach Lorne Donaldson likened their Ladies’s World Cup last-16 conflict towards Colombia in Melbourne on Tuesday to a boxing bout and pledged to be those delivering the knockout punch.

Each side are gunning to make the final eight for the primary time with a conflict towards both European champions England or one other event shock package deal, Nigeria, at stake.

“They’re all massive video games, that is only a completely different spherical, so the strategy, we aren’t going to alter a lot,” stated Donaldson, whose facet has but to concede a objective, holding powerhouses France and Brazil.

“We’re going to come up and provides it an excellent shot. Somebody can be knocked out, like a boxing match, somebody will go down. We’re going to be the one standing when the sport is over.”

Whereas the 51st-ranked Reggae Girlz have but to concede, they’ve solely scored as soon as — towards Panama by Paris Saint-Germain’s Allyson Swaby.

Donaldson admitted that should change.

“The dearth of objectives coming in, I don’t suppose it’s a significant concern to us,” he stated.

“We now have performed some good groups right here, France and Brazil, two of the highest groups on this planet and we had been truly presupposed to be shedding by six or seven, in accordance with the critics.

“To get by the (group) spherical you simply must do what you must do. However clearly now we have to rating objectives to win this recreation or we’re knocked out.”

A formidable Colombia, ranked 26, is banking on two teenage stars to assist steer them into the final eight.

Colombia’s ahead #18 Linda Caicedo celebrates scoring her staff’s first objective throughout the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Ladies’s World Cup Group H soccer match between Germany and Colombia at Sydney Soccer Stadium in Sydney on July 30, 2023. (Photograph by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

Actual Madrid striker Linda Caicedo has already introduced herself to the world with objectives in wins towards South Korea and Germany throughout the group section.

She is about to be joined by fellow 18-year-old Ana Maria Guzman in her event debut with attacking defender Manuela Vanegas suspended after two yellow playing cards.

Additional particular

Coach Nelson Abadia has mentored each Caicedo and Guzman since they had been 12 years previous and has full religion they may rise to the event.

“I’ve 23 gamers and they’re all very proficient,” stated Abadia, who’s famend for sticking with the identical beginning staff the place attainable.

“I’m totally assured in Ana, she could be very succesful.”

Guzman performed finally yr’s under-17 World Cup in India the place they misplaced 1-0 to Spain within the last, and stated she was able to step up.

“I’ll play any place, left or proper and revel in each second,” stated the Deportivo Pereira participant, sitting subsequent to her coach.

“It’s an excellent alternative. The coach has been a key individual in my life, he has at all times supported me and I wish to give my finest.

“To be enjoying with Linda is additional particular. Sure, we’re the youngest, however we’ll break our backs for this shirt,” she added.

Guzman is predicted to be the one change to the staff that misplaced 1-0 to Morocco of their final group recreation.

Abadia stated he was cautious of a Jamaican facet who’ve defended persistently nicely on the World Cup.

“We all know what Jamaica provide, they’re a really stable staff in protection,” he stated. “We should take note of the counter-attack as nicely, as a result of they’re very robust in that space too.”

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