Jamaica’s magical run at the Fifa Women’s World Cup comes to an end after the Reggae Girls suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Colombia this morning at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. 

The game was a hugely tense and frantic affair from the opening whistle, with play constantly being broken up by small fouls that peppered the first half and prohibited any team from finding a sense of control, with either team exchanging possession in the early stages.

The first half came and went with a number of chances that could be counted on the hand of a Simpsons character, despite the good-spirited fiesta atmosphere in the stands.

The second half saw the game open up, with players such as Jody Brown, Khadijah Shaw, Linda Caicedo and Leicy Santos getting a foot on the ball. Shaw and Brown got separate chances to score but the defensive unit of Colombia held strong on every occasion. 

But it was Catalina Usme who managed to open the scoring in the 51st minute after taking down a cross-field ball over the head of a fast closing defender Daniesha Blackwood who was beaten by the flight of the ball, and Usme then slotted past Goal keeper Rebecca Spencer from inside the box. 

From there, the game flowed one way and then the other, with Jamaica pushing for an equalizer knowing the threat Linda and company possessed on the wings.

In the end, Colombia’s defence stood strong and they progressed to the final 8 of the World Cup.

The Jamaicans will next turn their focus to the upcoming Olympic qualifying playoff fixtures against Canada in September.