Making the round of 16 in the World Cup is a big deal. The Jamaican Women’s National Team experienced that joy for the first time ever on Wednesday with an impressive and unexpected 0-0 draw with global powerhouse Brazil.
Thanks to the tie — and coupled with a tie against France and a win over Panama — the Reggae Girlz are moving on from the group stage. Jamaica’s defense was stalwart, getting crucial stops late to hold onto their spot in the knockout stage.
MORE: Jamaica goalkeeper withstands 94th minute flurry to knockout Brazil in stunning World Cup run
As the final whistle blew, the celebrations from the Jamaican squad started, led by head coach Lorne Donaldson. While it’s not entirely clear if his double summersault was planned, it certainly is perfection.
Jamaica Head Coach Lorne Donaldson's postgame celebration was amazing 🤣🇯🇲 pic.twitter.com/camPymOtcc
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 2, 2023
While Jamaica has never progressed to the round of 16, don’t think for a second that they don’t belong. Draws against two top-8 teams in the world — No. 5 France and No. 8 Brazil — show that the Reggae Girlz are not just a fun story. They’ll try and continue this magical run against the Group F winner (which could be Colombia) on Tuesday, August 8.
Until then, we’ll be rolling in celebration.
