Goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer says Jamaica’s historic run into the knockout phases of the World Cup will put stress on soccer bosses at house to take the ladies’s staff significantly.
The Reggae Girlz dished up a defensive masterclass to get the purpose they wanted in opposition to Brazil to succeed in the final 16 in Melbourne on Wednesday.
The 0-0 draw noticed ninth-ranked Brazil dumped out of the event within the group stage, its poorest efficiency since an exit on the identical early stage in 1995.
Lorne Donaldson’s 51st-ranked Jamaica has defied turbulent preparations to succeed in the final 16 for the primary time.
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The staff have been in open dispute with its soccer federation over an absence of help, together with points over pay and poor planning within the build-up to the World Cup.
“Obviously we fight a constant battle,” mentioned the London-born Spencer, saying the gamers felt that they had “a point to prove”.
“The better we do, the more pressure it creates (on the Jamaica Federation).
“We hope that they’re looking at us and taking us seriously now, which they should have been doing, and they can give us what we deserve out of everything.”
Jamaica’s subsequent opponent would be the winner of Group H, to be decided later Thursday.
Colombia tops that group forward of the ultimate spherical of video games.
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After strangling the life out of a disappointing Brazil and its legendary striker Marta, the Jamaica gamers celebrated with shouts of “We told you”.
“We feel like we’ve been hugely underestimated,” mentioned Spencer, who performs for Tottenham Hotspur.
One of the gamers’ gripes main into the World Cup was their federation’s failure to rearrange pleasant matches to assist preparations.
“Obviously with the noise that was going on outside of us playing and the lack of matches that we had leading into the tournament, I don’t think anyone took us seriously,” the 32-year-old mentioned.
“Like I said, as players and staff, we know that we’ve got a real togetherness and a family feel within our group. We were resilient.”
