Brilliant Brazilian striker Cristiane scored the first hat-trick of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals on June 9, leading her country to a 3-0 win over Jamaica's "Reggae Girlz" in front of 17,668 fans at the Stade des Alpes in Grenoble. There was plenty of early Brazilian pressure, plus the odd scare for goalkeeper Barbara to deal with, before Andressa's super pass from half-way sent Debinha haring through on goal. She looked to round Sydney Schneider, but the goalkeeper got a vital touch to the ball to flick it away from the rampaging front-runner, the first of several noteworthy saves the young custodian would make in this match. After Barbara had saved at her near post from dangerous Jamaican striker Khadija Shaw, Cristiane opened the scoring with a powerful twelve yard header on receipt of Andressa's cross on the quarter hour. The early goal was an obvious setback to the "Reggae Girlz", but they didn't let it overwhelm them, responding instead with the game's next chance in the 24th minute. Marlo Sweatman's free-kick targeted the head of Trudi Carter, but Barbara came charging out to pluck the ball off her skull and ignite a Brazilian counter-attack with an accurate throw-out. Andressa was the recipient, and her raking cross-field pass sent Debinha dashing through the inside left channel. She raced onwards, only to be thwarted by Schneider's fine save with her legs. Jamaica's 'keeper produced another solid save two minutes later. Formiga - playing in her seventh Women's World Cup Finals - and Andressa combined, with the latter delivering a cross intended for Beatriz. Schneider had other ideas, however, parrying the ball onto the striker then gathering the rebound. Back came Jamaica, Havana Solaun sending Shaw sweeping through the inside-right channel, from where she unleashed a screamer which Barbara tipped over the bar in breathtaking fashion at her near post. Brazil responded instantly, Thaisa and Debinha combining down the left, with the latter playing the ball into the heart of the penalty area. Cristiane spearheaded a raid which also featured Andressa and Thaisa, who had continued her run. Had the game's lone goalscorer let the ball run on, Andressa would have been perfectly placed to let fly. But Cristiane's deft flick took the ball behind the charging midfielder, much to Jamaica's relief. The Women's World Cup debutants came desperately close to equalising in the 35th minute. Carter got the better of Leticia Santos on the left before whipping in a cross which Barbara spilled. Shaw swooped on the loose ball and promptly let fly, only for Barbara to recover her error with a fine save. Two minutes later, Brazil were presented with a golden opportunity to double their lead when Leticia Santos' cross was handled in the area by Allyson Swaby. German referee Riem Hussein didn't hesitate in pointing to the penalty spot, from where Andressa was superbly denied by Schneider - a terrific save! That penalty denial was the last act of note in a first half in which the Jamaicans gave plenty of cheek, Shaw and Carter in particular looking dangerous whenever they got on the ball. The same statement applied to Debinha and Andressa, and when they combined five minutes into the second half - the former's driving run prompting the latter to deliver a low cross - Jamaica were in deep trouble. Because sliding in on the far post was Cristiane, who steered the ball over the line before Konya Plummer could clear it to safety - 2-0, with the

master markswoman now on a hat-trick after plundering the 91st international goal of her stellar career. And so nearly three sixty seconds later. Debinha dashed through onto Formiga's through ball, attracting a challenge from Dominique Bond-Flasza which was borderline illegal. The Brazilian striker went down as a result, falling over the fast-approaching Schneider in doing so, but no penalty was forthcoming … you've seen them given. Back came the "Reggae Girlz" once more, Shaw a real fox in the box as she caught Monica in possession near the byline. The striker steered the ball back to Carter, whose shot was blocked by Leticia Santos in the 54th minute. Five minutes later, Sweatman's free-kick saw Shaw beat Barbara in the air, but Allyson Swaby was unable to direct the sphere goalwards. Ninety seconds on, another Sweatman delivery - this time a corner - was played short to Carter, who smartly turned her marker and delivered a tantalising cross over Barbara to the far post, where Allyson Swaby was hurtling in. She just failed to direct her effort on target - so close! There's close, and there's Cristiane, and in the 64th minute, she completed her hat-trick in fine style. A swashbuckling run through the heart of the Jamaican defence saw her finally brought to ground two yards outside the penalty area. There was just one thing on her mind at this point - completing the job. And boy, did she ever! A superb free-kick arced over the wall and the diving figure of Schneider before clipping the underside of the crossbar, bouncing down just over the line, then up onto the bar and back into the field of play. 3-0, and a Women's World Cup Finals hat-trick to boot - and an instant substitution for Brazil's goalscoring heroine. Cristiane's withdrawal prompted a flurry of replacements over the next fifteen minutes, during which two of Brazil's newcomers had Jamaican hearts a-fluttering. Debinha - what a strong game she had - combined with Ludmila and Geyse around the edge of the area in the 77th minute, with Schneider plunging to her left to turn the last-mentioned's shot round the post. Three minutes later, Geyse pounced on a mix-up between Schneider and Plummer, whipping in a cross from the byline which gave Ludmila an open goal into which to turn the ball. But she directed it past the upright - a golden chance spurned. Another followed in the 88th minute, Ludmila scooting clear of Plummer before steering her shot wide of the same post. The substitute then collided with Schneider as both went for a cross from Debinha, who brilliantly outfoxed Plummer on the left prior to delivering the ball into the goalmouth. Jamaica never gave up hope in their quest to score a goal on their Women's World Cup Finals debut, with substitute Chinyelu Asher having seen her blockbuster leave Brazilian defender Diane gasping for air seven minutes from time. And in stoppage time, they came close again, Shaw's low cross from the byline targeting Jody Brown, only for Formiga to hook the ball to safety from beneath the shadow of her crossbar. It was the last act in a highly entertaining encounter between two teams who put into practice "Jogo Bonito" in a positive manner, no one more so than the player whose name appears on the scoresheet three times - Cristiane! Cristiane! Cristiane! Brazil:          Barbara; Leticia Santos, Kathellen (Diane, 75 (booked, 82)), Monica, Tamires; Andressa, Formiga (booked, 58), Thaisa; Beatriz (Geyse, 65), Cristiane (Ludmila, 65), Debinha Jamaica:     Schneider; Bond-Flasza, Plummer (booked, 17), A. Swaby, Blackwood; C. Swaby, Solaun (Asher, 72), Sweatman; Matthews (Brown, 62), Shaw, Carter (Cameron, 79) Referee:     Riem Hussein (Germany)