Righto, that’s us done here – check back or on site for our match report. But otherwise, thanks for your company and comments; peace out.
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And I absolutely cannot get enough of stuff like this.
"This is one of the best feelings in my life" 😆
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 2, 2023
Lorne Donaldson hails the "resilience" and "fight" of his squad after a historical achievement for #JAM #FIFAWWWC pic.twitter.com/3S6eFusx7g
I cannot get enough of stuff like this:
🇯🇲 JAMAICA HAVE DONE IT 🇯🇲
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 2, 2023
Against all the odds, #JAM qualify for the knockout stages for the first time in their history... #BRA are out of the #FIFAWWC! pic.twitter.com/teeJplS7db
It wasn't to be for Panama today but look at what these celebrations mean to their players and fans 🇵🇦❤️#FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/TsGnImaEmk
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 2, 2023
Other stuff to read:
Another total jazzer of a game. Marta Cox’s goal was one of the moments of the tournament, Panama’s consolations brought deep joy, and in between times France played some terrific pass-and-move stuff around the box, Vicki Bècho announcing herself to a global audience with an all-round performance of skill, verve and intelligence. I hope she keeps her place for the next round.
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FULL TIME: Panama 3-6 France
France are into the last 16 as group winners, and will meet Colombia, Germany or Morocco next.
90+12 min 6-3, though, is a hockey score not a football score, to quote Jose Mourinho after Arsenal beat Spurs 5-4 in 2004.
LOVELY GOAL! Panama 3-6 France (Becho 90+10)
A fine switch picks out Perisset down the right, who crosses towards the near post … where Becho cleverly skips a stride to get in front of her marker and ensure she’s airborne to deflect the ball across Bailey and into the far corner. That’s the goal her performance deserves, a gorgeous combination of awareness, vision and touch.
90+9 min By the way, this has been another consuming, affirming buzz of a game. And when you think about what’s to come, we could be enveloped in the unrivalled embrace of a classic tournament. Make sure to notice, because it’ll soon be over.
90+7 min Now France look after the ball, but then concede a free-kick and Quintero signals to her teammates to leave the ball so Pinzon can flight into the box. But for some reason, Panama don’t send everyone forward, so her clipped delivery is easily cleared.
90+6 min Below, I talked about what good stuff can happen when you rotate, but this is the bad sutff: players desperate to impress or just enjoy their World Cup moment putting everything in when the first XI just keep the ball and kill the game.
90+4 min Jamaica and Brazil have drawn 0-0! Jamaica are through, and look at their celebrations on your second screen! The Reggae Girls have done it! Brazil, then are gawn … unless Panama can score thrice in the next nine minutes.
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90+3 min Majri, lurking outside the box, lashes a bouncing ball, hovering an enticing few centimetres off the ground, just wide. How are France not 17 goals in front here? I’ll tell you how: football is how.
90+2 min VAR, by th eway, wanted to see if Cedeno was offside; she wasn’t, just.
90+1 min We’ve got 13 minutes of added time! In Melbourne, it’s still 0-0, with just 30 seconds left.
90 min Cedeno is buzzing like you wouldn’t believe. A World Cup goal!
IT'S A GOAL!
The comeback is on! Two more Panama goals and France are going home!
89 min I’d love to tell you what this is all about but I’ve not a clue. Meantime, Hernandez noises up the crowd.
88 min But the VAR wants a look – at what, we’ve not been told, nor shown. Ridiculous.
GOAL! Panama 3-5 France (Cedeno 87)
More joy! Cedeno flicks on a free-kick into the box, the ball bounces high, hits the bar, and she’s on hand to nod home, precipitating more ecstatic dancing.
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85 min Panama have stuck at it, and when a ball into the box is cleared to the edge, Cox laces a shot that skids just wide of the post.
83 min France will, of course, win this group, and next they meet the runners-up in Group H. Colombia need a point against Morocco to win it while Germany need to match whatever Morocco do in that game to take second from them. If Germany win and Colombia lose, the former will win the group and the latter will qualify second, provided there’s not an eight-goal goal-difference swing.
81 min Change for Panama, Mills replacing Tanner and taking the armband from Marta Cox.
79 min France has attacked really well today. I wonder if Becho has done enough to keep her place ahead of Dali for the last 16 – I’d fancy having her in reserve to bring on, but I’d want to face her for 90 even less.
78 min Le Garrec’s played well tonight, and she clips what’s basically a cross-kick towards the far post, picking out the leaping Majri at the back post. But she can’t quite introduce studs to ball, so the chance evaporates.
76 min Elsewhere, if Brazil can’t score, they’re out with Jamaica going through – and this game is a little in front of ours, 79 gone.
74 min This is what happens when you rotate and it goes well: a team gets clattered by players desperate to take their chance. So again, Becho makes ground down the right, crosses intelligently, and Le Garrec moves on to Asseyi who, inside the box, uses her marker as a screen to curl low for the far corner … and against the post. Great effort, though the flag then goes up for offside.
72 min France work into Cascarino, who has time and space outside the box, left of centre. So she lines up a strike as the ball skates across her body and her connection is near-perfect; she thinks she’s pavarded one into the top corner. But it takes a deflection, I think, which allows Bailey to fling up an arm and prang to safety from under the bar when the original strike was headed for the top corner, I think.
71 min Becho asgain down the right, away from Baltrip-Reyes before picking out the third-player run of Fazer – she’s been so good not only at conjuring space but using it – and Fazer rolls studs over the ball to escape her marker, but can only shank her shot wide of the near post.
69 min I really, really like Fazer’s attitude – she wants it, and thinks it’s hers to take. Bailey is treated with spray, but she’ll be fine to go on.
68 min The electric Becho bursts down the right, screaming by Pinzon and cutting back; Fazer, desperate for her own World Cup moment, fights for a shooting angle, and Bailey smothers, taking a volley on the wrist for her trouble.
67 min Cascarino swings in and Bailey’s in that same invidious position as she was when France scored their fourth; does she move before De Almeida does or doesn’t get a touch? She waits, DAe Almeida doesn’t, and she collects safely.
66 min To celebrate, Pinzon clatters Bacha and is booked. Free-kick France, 25 yards out, well right of centre…
GOAL! Panama 2-5 France (Pinzon pen 65)
Another terrific penalty, swept into the left side-netting, a couple of feet off the ground. And what a celebration, dancing and joyfulness. A World Cup goal! Not many of us with one of them.
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NO GOAL!
The ref hadn’t blown her whistle. Pressure for Pinzon now, her World-Cup goal confiscated from her!
GOAL! Panama 2-5 France (Pinzon pen 64)
Pinzon rams high into the net!
PENALTY TO PANAMA!
63 min A long punt into the box finds Tanner, who brings the ball down just in time to be clattered from behind by De Almeida. What on earth was she thinking!
62 min Another change for Panama, Espinosa on for Natis. She’s had an eventful match.
61 min Fazer immediately tries to make an impression, hanging onto the ball in centrefield only to be robbed by Cox … so Perisset slides in immediately to avert potential danger.
60 min Diani is given a rest, replaced by the 19-year-old Fazer, making her France debut. What a moment.
59 min Diani knocks offf or Becho, who finds Perisset on the outside. Her cross, though, is kicked clear, but France look like they might score every time they attack.
58 min a double-change for Panama, Cedeno and Montenegro off, Gonzalez and Hernandez on.
57 min Mateo was quiet in the first half but has played well since and she pops up on the right, swinging over a cross under which Diani can’t quite contort.
56 min No doubt the way Panama have defended them hasn’t helped, but France’s set pieces, in the absence of Wendy Renard, have been very good. They’re not the best side left or that close to it, but they’ve got more than enough to trouble anyone on a good day.
55 min Meantime, France win yet another corner, the ball ends up at the edge, and Mateo shoots into the ground and wide.
54 min Which is to say better to have loved and lost or, to quote one of my favourite lines from any book, better third-class driving than first-class walking.
53 min Plus side, Panama, Marta Cox and us will always have that moment.
GOAL! Panama 1-5 France (Diani pen 52)
YES SHE CAN! Again, she watches the Bailey, who this time dives left. Diani goes left too, but picks out the side-netting and this could get messy.
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PENALTY TO FRANCE!
51 min Can Diani complete her hat-trick?
50 min Oh dear. Bechco heads on, Natis has an arm out and, she’s facing the right way. I can’t see a way this isn’t another peno.
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49 min Er, VAR are checking a possible handball and penalty for France; I’ve got to say I’ve not a clue what it’s even about, but the ref has gone to the screen…
48 min Again, Diani appears on the right, which makes me think she might now be playing there with Asseyi through the middle. Anyhow, she wins a corner which comes to nowt.
47 min Diani makes ground down the right and from the line, chips back a cross that eludes everyone.
46 min Panama make one change, Cedeno replacing Salazar, and France make two, Asseyi and Majri on for Geyoro and Bacha, who are presumably being saved for the next round.
46 min We go again.
Half-time email: “I agree that there are some offences in the area for which a penalty kick is harsh,” returns Beau Dure. “I once had to call a handball near the top of the area in a tournament final — under-10 girls, but these were big-time clubs whose parents have already mapped out their futures as the next Sophia Smith or Cheyna Matthews — and wow, the parents and coach were furious. But they were obnoxious throughout, and when the coach berated me after the game, she said she didn’t care if the other team was getting injured because of their fouls, so score one for karma.”
I hate blaming refs, and it’s the refusal of players and managers to take responsibility which has foisted VAR upon us, thereby depriving us of the greatest feeling known to humanity, the celebrating of a goal. I wrote about that here, but revised my feelings about respect for refs in the process of writing this, here:
HALF-TIME: Panama 1-4 France
France have been superb, but let’s not forget Marta Cox’ free-kick, not only one fo the great World cup goals but one of the great World Cup moments. She, and we, will have that forever.
GOAL! Panama 1-4 France (Le Garrec 45+5)
Ach, we’ve all seen these. Le Garrec curls in, ostensibly seeking bonce de De Almeida, who can’t apply the flick. But in the Panama goal, Bailey can’t move until that happens – or doesn’t happen – by which time it’s too late, and the ball curls gently into the far corner.
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45+4 min France win another corner, this time down the right, and Bacha swings out to no avail. Except Panama can’t clear and the ball winds up with Le Garrec, 20 yards out, left of centre…
45+3 min In Melbourne it is, I believe, all Brazil. But they’ve not yet scored and, to progress, they need to.
45+1 min We’ll have five added minutes. Poor Panama.
45 min “Putting on my ref’s hat (yes, I have other gigs besides The Guardian),” writes our man Beau Dure, “I think the ref has to make that call. She basically had her hand up for a volleyball spike. It was an ineffectual volleyball spike, sure, but still rather blatant.”
Within the laws, I l know why the ref pointed to the spot. I was whining about this during SA v Italy too, so please forgive me going on, but ultimately almost every offence that yields a penalty is not worth a penalty. Rather, any offence, anywhere on the pitch, that prevents a goalscoring opportunity should be penalty, and any offence inside the box that does not should be an indirect free-kick. As for our offence, Pinzon was facing away from the ball, so I think we might perhaps have concluded her purported infringement was not deliberate – but I get why we didn’t and the issue is the law not the officials.
44 min Lovely from France, Diani’s lovely touch redirecting Cascarino’s pass into her down the line for a return. The cross is a goodun too, but Becho can’t impart the necessary power and direction so Bailey fields.
42 min “I know it’s not exactly a new observation that France have strength in depth,” emails Kári Tulinius. “However, considering their injury list, it’s remarkable that they not only have a very strong first eleven, but can make five changes for their final group game and not drop a beat.”
Agreed. Panama are a long way behind, in fairness, but the way France have moved the ball and stretched the pitch has been excellent and Becho, in particular, has been superb. She’s pushing for a start in the knockouts – and, if Colombia can take a point in their final match, that’ll likely be against Germany.
40 min Whenever a team expected to lose score early and suffer thereafter, I think of this game. Had West Ham refrained, they might’ve got away with 3-0, but they didn’t, so they didn’t.
38 min Looking at the penalty incident again, Pinzon looked to me like she was facing away from the ball. I don’t see the need to give a spot-kick – roughly 80% are scored, I think – for that. No advantage was being sought, and no chance of a goal was averted.
GOAL! Panama 1-3 France (Diani pen 37)
Diani watches Bailey and, when she dives right, rolls left.
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PENALTY TO FRANCE!
36 min This comes out of nothing, Lakrar challenging for a high free-lick and heading … into the raised hand of Pinzon. Another harsh but fair one, I guess.
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35 min Ach, Cox is down and looks in pain, clutching her knee. Looking at the replay, there doesn’t look anything amiss, and she’s soon back up and about.
34 min France have passed and moved nicely, Geyoro and Le Garrec triangulating in midfield before the ball goes wide to Becho, who backheels for Perisset … whose low drive somehow evades both all the players between her and the far corner, and the far corner itself.
33 min It’s Bacha, who tries the low inside-outer, swinging past the wall … but also past the far post.
32 min France win another free-kick, 23 yards out just left of the D. Bacha fancies it, but Mateo is there alongside her…
31 min In retrospect, I should give Diani flowers for her finish. With players between her and the goal, she did really well to think it through under pressure, lofting her finish to evade the attentions of those who’d stop her.
30 min “Greetings from California,” writes the commendably awake Mary Waltz. “Of course I am watching Brazil and the Reggae Girls v Marta and Brazil. Why would I even pay attention to France v Panama, of course France will win, playing the match is just a formality. This years tournament is making me look the fool, the world is turned upside down.”
GOAL! Panama 1-2 France (Diani 28)
Yeah, time’s up. Perisset sends Becho, who’s been excellent away down the right, and again she looks up then cuts back for Diani … who tries a flick which is blocked back to her, so she wriggles an angle for another go, lifting into the roof from six yards. France are going through!
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27 min Panama win another free-kick, this time out on the left, and Cox, swing in another fine delivery, but Cedeno can’t direct her header goalwards, though I think the ball actually came off Lakrar, though the ref awards a goalkkick.
26 min Cascarino returns, something shoved up one nostril. As things stand, France will win the group with Jamaica qualifying second, which is to say Brazil need a goal.
25 min Eeesh, Cascarino takes an arm to the face, Cox backpeddling and catching her with a full swing. She takes treatment as her conk is bleeding, but she’ll be fine.
24 min Credit to France, who might’ve panicked after going behind so early and in such style. But instead, they’ve played their football and look good to win it from here.
23 min France win the ball high, Becho quickly into a tackle, and she cuts back for Diani, who should score … but she lashes over the top.
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22 min The goal has been given to Lakrar, which makes some kind of sense, as her effort was on target, but also none because the defender should really have clumped it clear.
GOAL! Panama 1-1 France (Salazar own goal 21)
The original ball in is retrieved by France, then the second ball too, kept alive by Bacha – I think – and Lakrar heads goalwards, Salazar desperately swiping a clearance that shoots into the roof of the net.
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20 min France win another corner down the right…
19 min Cascarino slides a pass around Jaen and Bacha hares onto it, but with Diani in the middle can’t measure her cut-back and Bailey again sprawls to save.
18 min France have kept the heid well and they’re not panicking, rather playing through the thirds. I wonder, though, if we might see Wendy Renard sooner rather than later because her side are forcing a lot of set-pieces and could use her in the middle to head them home.
16 min France move down the right, Diani looking to cross, but Bailey comes and collects well. We’ve seen some good goalkeeping displays these last few days – Periera was superb when Colombia beat Germany and Swart did well for South Africa earlier today.
16 min In Melbourne, it’s still Jamaica 0-0 Brazil.
14 min Bacha clips in from the right and Lakrar is up, but her header is headed behind until Pinzon interferes, her touch sufficiently weak for Bailey to collect.
12 min Becho wins a corner down the right which Le Garrec will take; unlike most I’ve seen during this tournament, France are swinging theirs out, and the delivery is decent, looking for the near post, but Baltrip-Reyes clears and eventually France earn another try, Jaen heading behind when she could easily have let the ball go.
11 min Just look at her! Isn’t she beautiful?
Marta Cox, take a BOW!
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 2, 2023
That is simply stunning from the Panama midfielder 🚀 pic.twitter.com/zwhPe1XVSs
10 min But here come France again, Cascarino bursting onto a pass and crossing, Natis sticking behind for a corner; Panama clear it well, Natis unloading Geyoro, and eventually Le Garrec wellies into the stands.
9 min Bacha will take, but she’ll swing out rather than go for goal, and someone – Pinzon I think – heads clear.
8 min France have settled now, spreading wide to Cascarino who lays infield to Bacha. So Natis nobbles her as she runs away from goal seeking space, and now it’s France with a free-kick, further left of centre but a similar distance away from goal.
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7 min Becho nashes down the right, easing away from Jaen and cutting back, but Pinzon is there to block her off, then Bacha thrashes over the top.
5 min But now here come France, Geyoro feeding a ball in behind for Diani who, down the right of the box, takes a touch too many – perhaps – and slices wide of the near post with only the keeper to beat. Her team, who conceded prior to even touching the ball, are awake.
4 min As it stands, France are going out, but a positive result in Brazil v Jamaica would allow them to lose.
3 min Cox has tears in her eyes as she celebrates and how can she not have! There are tears in mine and I’m sat in a dingy box-room!
OH MY COMPLETE AND UTTER ABSOLUTE EVERLASTING DAYS WHAT A GOAL! Panama 1-0 France (Cox 2)
Cox flings every last fibre of herself into this, exploding into a free-kick that rises high over the near side of the wall, swerves, shrieks and screams high into the top corner of the net, Peyraud Magrin a spectator! That is a simply disgraceful hit, Panama’s first ever World Cup goal, and suddenly we got ourselves a ball-game!
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1 min Immediately, Cox burrows forward, but just as she’s about to shoot, Le Garrec trips her. Free-kick Panama, 30 yards out….
1 min Away we go!
Panama are, as you’d expect, set up to try and avoid a hiding. France, though, have players playing for places in the last 16, some trying to hang onto theirs, others trying to liberate them from others.
Anthem time…
And here come our teams…
But what a game it was.
I can’t lie, I’m still shaking from that South Africa v Italy game. So I’m going to take a quick screen-break and leave you with this tribute: a playlist, roughly compiled, of South African bangers.
Panama, meanwhile, bring in Jaen for Castillo at the back, Quintero for Gonzalez at the base of midfield, and up front it’s Montenegro, not Cedeno L.
I said earlier you never know but Hervé Renard reckons he does, making five changes to the team that beat Brazil last time out. At the back, Karchaoui and Renard are replaced by Almeida and Cascarino E (not D, who’s injured); in midfield, Toletti and Dali drop out, with Le Garrec and Becho coming in; and up front, it’s Mateo not Le Sommer.
In Melbourne, Jamaica and Brazil play-off for likely second place behind France. Scott Murray will croon you through that one.
Teams!
Panama (5-4-1): Bailey; Jaen, Natis, Pinzon, Cedeno, Baltrip-Reyes; Salazar, Tanner, Montenegro, Quintero; Cox. Subs: Fabrega, Cordoba, Castillo, Gonzalez, Riley, Mills, Vargas, Espinosa, Batista, Hernandez, Cedeno, De Obaldia.
France (4-4-2): Peyraud-Magnin; Lakrar, De Almeida, Cascarino, Perisset; Geyoro, Bacha, Le Garrec, Becho; Diani, Mateo. Subs: Durand, Picaud, Renard, Fazer, Toletti, Karchaoui, Le Sommer, Majri, Tounkara, Dali, Asseyi, Feller.
Preamble
This should be simple: a draw here, and France are through. But if Panama win and Brazil draw with Jamaica, Les Bleus are going home.
That, though, is unlikely because France are serious outfit. They’re missing some serious players – Delphine Cascarino and Marie-Antoinette Katoto – but still have plenty of quality.
Thing is, you never know – just ask Italy. It’s true that Panama don’t have the players South Africa do, but football is a chaotic, brutal activity, so you never know.
Kick-off: 8pm local, 11am BST.
