Jamaica surprised the 39,045 fans at Allianz Stadium on July 23 by holding France, one of the favourite teams at the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals, to a scoreless draw in both teams' opening game of the 2023 tournament. An early clash of heads between the respective captains, Wendie Renard and Khadija Shaw, set the tone for a hard-fought encounter, with the "Reggae Girlz" giving their European rivals plenty to think about early doors, but not before the French had fired a warning shot across Jamaica's bows, Renard flicking on Amel Majri's tenth minute free-kick at the near post. The Jamaicans survived that scare - just! - but they replied via Deneisha Blackwood's free-kick on the quarter hour, although Chantelle Swaby's header lacked the power to trouble French goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin. Another Majri free-kick in the 28th minute saw Renard and Eugenie Le Sommer combine to threaten the Jamaican goal. Rebecca Spencer stood firm, then produced a fine save seven minutes later to keep out an angled low drive from Grace Geyoro, after Majri and Clara Mateo had prised open Jamaica's rearguard. Majri's resulting corner saw Spencer punch clear off the head of Renard - no mean feat given the formidable 6'3 French legend towers over almost every player in the competition height-wise. Jamaica responded to this close call with one of their own, a thunderous twenty-five yard free-kick from Shaw which Peyraud-Magnin did well to tip round the post - the closest either team had come to a goal during the first half. France threatened again before the break through Kadidiatou Diani, who twice thrashed shots towards the target in the dying moments of the half, the second one deflecting to safety off Vyan Sampson. Chances continued to be at a premium in the second spell, with Geyoro unable to capitalise on Le

Sommer's 54th minute lay-off before Sandie Toletti sent a shot sailing over the bar on receipt of Mateo's corner four minutes later. Jamaica produced their best move of the match in the 65th minute, but Peyraud-Magnin was untroubled by Cheyna Matthews' header, something which could not be said for Spencer two minutes later - she was beaten all ends up by Geyoro's header from Kenza Dali's cross, and was very relieved to see the ball flash past the far post, rather than inside it. The final fifteen minutes brought French pressure aplenty, with Dali, Sakina Karchaoui and Geyoro combining to present Le Sommer with a chance. Spencer saved her acute-angled shot, and looked on as Maelle Lakrar directed a header over the bar in the dying minutes, Dali having picked her out with a pinpoint corner. Stoppage time materialised, in which there was drama aplenty. Geyoro hit the angle of bar and post with a header from Vicki Becho's clipped cross from the by-line, soon after which Shaw was sent off for committing her second bookable offence, reducing the "Reggae Girlz" to ten women for the final couple of minutes. During that time, "Les Bleues" came close to winning it, Karchaoui's cross being headed out by Swaby to Dali, who was denied a dramatic winner by Spencer's vital save, one which earned the Caribbean contenders their first-ever point at the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals, having lost all three matches they played in their first Finals appearance four years ago in France. France:          Peyraud-Magnin; Lakrar, Cascarino, Renard, Karchaoui; Geyoro, Toletti, Majri (Dali, 66); Diani, Le Sommer, Mateo (booked, 14) (Becho, 66) Jamaica:     Spencer; C. Swaby, A. Swaby, Sampson, Wiltshire; Brown, Primus (booked, 24) (Washington, 70), Spence, Blackwood; Matthews (Solaun, 70), Shaw (booked, 37, 90 - sent off) Referee:     Maria Carvajal (Chile)