The legendary Marta bid an earlier than intended goodbye to the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals on August 2 as she and her Brazilian team-mates were held to a scoreless draw by Jamaica in front of 27,638 fans at AAMI Park. Brazil had to win the match to leapfrog their Caribbean rivals and advance to the knockout phase of the competition, but the "Reggae Girlz" stubborn resistance proved impenetrable throughout proceedings for the 2007 runners-up, the closest the six-time FIFA Women's Player of the Year came to winning the prize she most coveted in her storied career. Marta it was who fired the first shot in anger in this stalemate, a fifth minute drive which drew a save from Rebecca Spencer after the striker had worked a one-two with Debinha, who also teamed up with Marta to carve out Brazil's next chance in the eleventh minute - the veteran striker's shot was blocked by Vyan Simpson, much to the dismay of Ary Borges, who had the freedom of Jamaica's penalty area to Marta's right. Brazil continued to pound away in search of the opening goal, with Marta and Rafaelle combining to present Tamires with a shooting chance in the nineteenth minute, one Spencer saved well at her near post. Five minutes later, "La Selecao" should have broken the deadlock. Luana unleashed Tamires down the left, and the overlapping fullback delivered an inch-perfect cross onto the head of Ary Borges, who somehow headed wide from six yards when scoring seemed a given. Still they pressed, a concerted attack six minutes before half-time culminating in Ary Borges' lobbed pass finding Tamires tearing into the area. Once more, Spencer stood firm in the face of adversity to keep the Jamaicans level. Nine minutes after half-time, Spencer almost gifted Brazil the lead, spilling Kerolin's cross-shot right in front of Debinha, who was unable to react before Jamaica's goalkeeper greedily grabbed the loose ball. The "Reggae Girlz" hadn't conceded a goal in their previous group games, and continued to maintain that impressive statistic as this match wore on, repelling everything Brazil threw at them. Numerous were their attempts to find a way through, but Spencer was rarely troubled by their efforts, even to the extent of keeping out a sliced attempted clearance by Allyson Swaby as she looked to direct a Luana cross to safety eleven minutes from time. Soon after came a momentous moment as all present rose as one to applaud Marta from the

pitch, ever-hopeful that Brazil might nick a late winner to extend her career by one more match, but at the same time mindful that the undisputed Queen of every 21st Century edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals was gracing us with her presence for the final time. One of the many, many players she has inspired in that time nearly scored the winner soon after Marta's departure. Jamaican captain Khadija Shaw was sent through Brazil's short-handed rearguard by Drew Spence's 82nd minute pass and powered past two defenders before blasting a twenty-yard bullet narrowly over the bar - her team's only chance of note in the entire contest. Treating it as a warning shot across the bows, and knowing all too well that time was their enemy, Brazil threw everything they could muster at their plucky opponents, Geyse and Adriana both chancing their arm in vain before Debinha dashed in off the left flank, only to shoot straight at Spencer in the 86th minute. Andressa looked to clinch victory with a free-kick just prior to the game entering stoppage time, during which she delivered another set-piece which had Jamaican nerves jangling big-time! Bia Zaneratto's shot was blocked, with the rebound prompting a goalmouth scramble during which Debinha headed goalwards … Spencer grabbed the ball, and a joyous Jamaica, who made their Finals debut in 2019, celebrated securing their passage to the last sixteen. Their unbridled joy contrasted starkly with Brazil's devastation, their hopes of doing all they could to deliver the missing medal in Marta's collection dashed by their inability to break the deadlock in a game they had to win to confirm their passage into the last sixteen, their departure delivering another blow to the established pecking order in the world game. How ironic that the growth in women's football which is prompting this apparent changing of the guard in the game is, in part, Marta's legacy, something in which she should take great pride as she departs the world stage for the final time. Long live "The Queen". Jamaica:     Spencer; C. Swaby, A. Swaby, Sampson, Wiltshire; Brown (Washington, 85), Primus, Matthews (booked, 30 (Cameron, 46)), Spence, Blackwood; Shaw Brazil:          Leticia; Antonia (Geyse, 81), Kathellen, Rafaelle, Tamires; Ary Borges (Bia Zaneratto, 46), Kerolin, Luana (Duda Sampaio, 81), Adriana; Debinha, Marta (Andressa, 81) Referee:     Esther Staubli (Switzerland)