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Edgar Chaput
Colombia vs Jamaica Prediction: Women’s World Cup Odds
The 2023 Women’s World Cup has seen its share of eyebrow-raising surprises. Both of these Round of 16 opponents have produced some of the magic. Colombia did more than merely survive Group G. They won it, defeating Germany along the way. Jamaica finished second in Group F but went undefeated. One of its two draws came against mighty Brazil in the final group stage game, knocking the contenders out of the tournament.
With the stage set, the Women’s World Cup odds speak to this game’s tricky nature. Colombia is priced at +104 and Jamaica +260. A draw is pegged at +200. Obviously in the latter case extra-time and, if necessary, penalties would decide the outcome.
Colombia vs Jamaica Betting Analysis
There haven’t been many encounters between these countries on the football pitch. The upcoming Round of 16 bout marks only the third time that Las Chicas Superpoderosas and the Reggae Girlz will play each other. At the 2019 Pan American Games the South American side claimed a 2-0 victory. Before that, at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games, it was Jamaica who earned the spoils, winning 2-1.
The Colombians are playing at their third World Cup tournament. After no participation whatsoever from 1991 through 2007, they finally made it in 2011 but couldn’t survive the group stage. In Canada in 2015, they reached this same Round 16. 2019 was a bad year as they missed the tournament yet again. Perhaps this is the generation of players to make significant headway given the squad’s second-place finish at the 2022 Copa America.
Jamaica’s World Cup experience is even greener than their opponent’s. The country was a debutant in France in 2019 when they fell in the group stage. By accessing the Round of 16 this year, they’ve already shown progress, although surely wish to continue defying the odds as the world watches.
Colombia
Las Chicas Superpoderosas’ journey to get this far has been at thrilling, intriguing, and surprising. Three matches is a relatively small sample size, but there have been some twists and turns that hint at big things from this side but also remind fans that there is still work to do.
Their first match was impressive, beating South Korea 2-0, although the Asian nation ended up being a big disappointment at this year’s edition. The real shocker was in the second game in which the Colombians did their country proud by handing Germany a 2-1 defeat. It served as Linda Caicedo’s coming out party, as she netted twice, one of her markers in contention for the goal of the tournament. Manuela Vanegas and Catalina Usme had also scored for the team through two matches. But that was followed by a dose of harsh reality as the Moroccans surprised them 1-0 in the final group stage game. It wasn’t a poor performance, but it may have tempered fans’ expectations somewhat.
Jamaica
Just as their South American rivals have caught the world’s attention at this year’s World Cup, so too has Jamaica, albeit via a different route.
One need only take note that they are playing a knockout round match yet have scored only one goal. It came on a second half corner kick against Panama, with skipper Allyson Swaby doing the damage with her head. A win is a win, and at a tournament such as this, whatever it takes is good enough. That said, both performances against France and Brazil, admittedly much stiffer opposition, had the Jamaicans mostly on the defensive, locking things down as the clock ticked away. To their credit, they haven’t conceded a goal yet, so the strategy is obviously working. One thing is certain: keeper Rebecca Spencer has been well tested so far and is passing with flying colours
A big question heading into this match is which Colombia squad will Jamaica face? The one that’s capable of setting off offensive fireworks or one that Jamaica can contend against with more agency in the middle and front third of the park?
