The Jamaican Women’s National Soccer Team (Reggae Girlz) touched down in Melbourne earlier this week and will call the Victorian Football Centre home throughout their group stage matches.
FIFA Ranking: 43
Head Coach: Lorne Donaldson
Jamaican Women’s National Soccer Team Schedule:
- July 23 – Jamaica v France
- July 29 – Jamaica v Panama
- August 2 – Jamaica v Brazil
In the 32-team tournament, only the two-top teams will advance to the knockout stage. France (4th) is the highest-ranked nation in Group F, while Brazil is ranked 8th in the world and Panama is 52nd on the FIFA rankings.
If Jamaica can advance to the Round of 16, they will either face the first or second-place finisher in Group B, which could be either Colombia, Germany, South Korea, or Morocco.
Jamaica’s best showing at the Women’s World Cup was in 2019 when they bowed out in the Group Stage.
At the 2019 Women’s World Cup, Canada bowed out in the Round of 16, while their best finish is fourth, in 2003.
Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz has become the first country from the region to make a second consecutive appearance at the World Cup finals.
They are a much more formidable group than in 2019 with the squad featuring several US and England-born players with Jamaican heritage who were not a part of their 2019 contingent.
Jamaica will head into the tournament as underdogs but will go into every match expecting to put up a fight.
Players to look out for:
-
Khadija Shaw
The Jamaican all-time leading goal scorer with 56 goals will keep her side in most matches throughout the Women’s World Cup with her physicality a highlight of her game. The 6ft striker was the first player from the Caribbean to win the Concacaf Player of the Year Award in 2022.
- Solai Washington
At just 18 years of age, Washington is the youngest member of the squad and is still in her final year of high school. The forward will look to provide a spark in for her nation with her finishing skills beyond her years.
- Drew Spence
The 30-year-old plays for Tottenham in the English Super League after a decade-long career with Chelsea. The midfielder amassed 11 major trophies during her time with Chelsea and became the club’s longest-serving player with 238 appearances.
Jamaica Women’s National Soccer Team Roster:
- GK: Liya Brooks (Washington State Cougars)
- GK: Sydney Schneider (Sparta Prague)
- GK: Rebecca Spencer (Tottenham Hotspur)
- DEF: Vyan Sampson (Hearts)
- DEF: Allyson Swaby (Paris Saint-Germain)
- DEF: Chantelle Swaby (Fleury)
- DEF: Konya Plummer (unattached)
- DEF: Deneisha Blackwood (GPSO 92 Issy)
- MID: Trudi Carter (Levante Las Planas)
- MID: Peyton McNamara (Ohio State Buckeyes)
- MID: Atlanta Primus (London City Lionesses)
- MID: Havana Solaun (Houston Dash)
- MID: Drew Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)
- MID: Solai Washington (Concorde Fire)
- MID: Paige Bailey-Gayle (Crystal Palace)
- FWD: Jody Brown (Florida State Seminoles)
- FWD: Cheyna Matthews (Racing Louisville)
- FWD: Kameron Simmonds (Tennessee Volunteers)
- FWD: Kalyssa Van Zanten (Notre Dame Fighting Irish)
- FWD: Tiernny Wiltshire (unattached)
- FWD: Khadija Shaw (Manchester City)
- FWD: Tiffany Cameron (unattached)