Brazil vsJamaica: Last swansong for Canarinhas oldies....By Elume Raymond – Sports Analyst

This could be Marta’s and Formiga's last act with the Brazilian national team and the dream is
still, of course, that the greatest ever female player (Marta) will be able to lift the World Cup. In
reality, however, that is not very realistic. She picked up an injury in training and is a serious
doubt for this opener.

 This is a generation of footballers who have become sick and tired of their failures, traumatised
by past disappointments – and who are still looking for a World Cup title. The psychological
damage has been profound and this group of players also know that they are being left behind
by teams who have improved. Sadly, they are no longer among the favourites.

Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz, who are ranked No 53 in the world, are set to make their historic bow at
the Women’s World Cup in France as the first ever Caribbean team to appear at the finals.



Jamaica's obstacles are obvious: The lowest-ranked team in the tournament, the Reggae Girlz
are not only playing in their first World Cup -- and facing Brazil in their opening match on June
9. The Girlz know they have an uphill battle in France, but they're used to overcoming
challenges. As recently as 2014, they didn't have a national team.

Previous Meetings in Major Tournaments
None
Recent form
Brazil
27 Feb 2019: England-Brazil: 2-1
2 Mar 2019: Brazil-Japan: 1-3
6 Mar 2019: USA-Brazil: 1-0
5 Apr 2019: Spain-Brazil: 2-1
8 Apr 2019: Scotland-Brazil: 1-0

 Jamaica
20 May 2019: Jamaica-Panama: 3-1
28 May 2019: Scotland-Jamaica: 3-2
What Brazil must do to win it - Strengths/Weaknesses
Their form since winning the Copa América in April 2018 is extremely poor – the Canarinhas
picked up only one win from the following 11 games, losing nine consecutive friendlies. It is true
that the Brazilian FA (CBF) lined up some very strong opponents, such as Japan, USA and
Australia, but they did also lose against Scotland.


Part of this is down to the lack of tactical experimentation by the coach, Oswaldo Alvarez, and
the fact that he often plays players out of position. In fact, his old-fashioned 4-4-2 appears more
fitting for the Premier League 20 years ago than today’s international football.





The system has
made the team vulnerable defensively and also appears to exhaust Marta to the point where she
is not able to be at her best in the penalty area.




The defence has struggled without Rafaelle as she has been recovering from knee surgery in
November 2018 and her replacement, Érika, has struggled. There are also concerns about the
match fitness in attack with Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels’ Bia Zaneratto breaking her fibula
while the experienced São Paulo striker Cristiane has had muscular problems and may struggle
to be fit for the finals.

Having said that, there is still a lot of belief in Marta’s ability and the indefatigable Formiga is
showing no signs of slowing down. The 41-year-old recently signed a new two-year deal with PSG,
and is on the eve of her seventh World Cup. There is youth in this squad too, with the forward
Geyse (21, Benfica).




X-factor for the game: Geyse
It's not often the Canarinho enter an international tournament as underdogs, or with hopes of
surprising their opponents with success. But in the midst of the squad's worst run in history and
ranked lower than ever, that's exactly what Brazil is hoping to do. Historically one of the most
respected teams in the world, the team has lost some of its luster as of late. The one thing that
hasn't dropped off? Their desire.





What Jamaica must do to win it - Strengths/Weaknesses
The team travelling to France includes several American and English-born players with Jamaican
heritage and is virtually the same one that competed in the qualifiers but the coach, Hue
Menzies, has been able to unearth some new additions before this summer’s tournament.




Menzies and his players have taken a liking to the 4-3-3 formation, as they bank on their speed
and athleticism to open up opposing defences, particularly from the wide areas. Shaw, as
always, will be the focal point in the attacking trio and could make a difference against their
more illustrious Group C opponents if is she is able to get on the ball close enough to goal.




The Reggae Girlz appear more effective when playing on the break using their speed and the
return of the forward Trudi Carter from injury should add further impetus.


 The defence showed
its strength in the qualifiers and, while they often play deep against tougher opponents, the
centre-backs sometimes step up in an attempt to pressure the ball high and support the
midfield’s attempt to gain possession.
Strong performances can be expected from the captain, Konya Plummer, and her fellow
defender Allyson Swaby. They are both strong in the air and resolute on the ground.





X-factor for the game: Jody Brown
Without doubt Jamaica are one of the biggest underdogs at the World Cup but they are
certainly not going to the tournament accepting defeat and the work ethic that has brought
them this far will be in evidence again.

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