Jamaica Women’s National Soccer Team.Photo:Andrew Wiseman/DeFodi Images via Getty
Andrew Wiseman/DeFodi Images via Getty
The Jamaican women’s soccer dream is alive and well, despite financial challenges that threatened keeping the team from traveling tothis year’s World Cup.
The team pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2023 Women’s World Cup on Wednesday morning, drawing a 0-0 tie with Brazil, the No. 8 ranked team in the world. The result meant Jamaica, the No. 43-ranked team, ismoving on to the knockout roundwhile the powerhouse Brazilian team heads home.
Several members of the Jamaican team, who dubs itself “The Reggae Girlz,” were crying and hugging each other after tying Brazil to advance in the World Cup — “an achievement beyond belief,” Fox Sports announcer Jacqui Oatleysaid.
Jamaica will now play the winner of Group H next Tuesday — either Colombia, Germany, or Morocco.
“If I can somehow make this journey smoother for them — and let them focus on what they’d love to do is play soccer — they shouldn’t be worried about the politics or getting a flight or getting accommodation,” Solaun’s mom, Sandra Phillips-Brower, told theAssociated Presslast month. “They should be able to go there and do what they qualified to do, just play soccer.”
Jamaica Women’s National Soccer Team.Morgan Hancock/NurPhoto via Getty
Morgan Hancock/NurPhoto via Getty
The fundraisers underscore the pay inequity between men’s and women’s sports around the globe.
Leading up to the World Cup, Jamaican forwards Khadija “Bunny” Shaw and Cheyna Matthews spoke out against the Jamaican soccer federation, which they said failed to address the pay gap and help fund the team’s trip to this year’s World Cup.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“The Reggae Girls consist of professional and collegiate footballers who are spread out across the world,” Shawwrote in a statementshared to social media before the tournament, as the team was left wondering whether they had enough funds to organize practices. “To be left questioning whether a camp will even take place two to three days before the expected start is unprofessional and often unfairly prohibitive for some of our players.”Shaw said the Jamaican players are “constantly serving in multiple capacities, trying to overcome inadequate and often unacceptable circumstances, while doing our best to meet the physical and mental demands of the sport we love so much,” calling for an “immediate and systemic change” within the country’s soccer federation.
Jamaica Women’s National Soccer Team.Andrew Wiseman/DeFodi Images via Getty
The fight for pay equity in Jamaica comes as other teams, including the United States and Canada, have protested for the same issue in recent years.
source: people.com
