Italy advanced to the knockout stages of the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals in style at the Stade Auguste Delaune in Reims on June 14, thrashing Jamaica 5-0 in front of 12,016 fans led by a hat-trick from Cristiana Girelli. The pace of Mirela Grey gave the "Azzurri" cause for concern early on, but it was the Italian attack which was soon the centre of attention. Barbara Bonansea's twenty-yarder was saved by Sydney Schneider in the fifth minute, while four minutes later the Italian striker went down in the area under the challenge of Sashana Campbell. Kiwi referee Anna-Marie Keighley was quite content for play to continue, but the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee swiftly changed her mind - penalty. Up stepped Girelli, only to see her effort saved superbly by Schneider. But a retake was ordered, with the goalkeeper being adjudged to have moved off her line prior to the kick being taken, a sin for which she was booked. Girelli made no mistake with this second chance, sending Schneider the wrong way to open the scoring in the twelfth minute. Jamaica were rocked by the penalty decision and its outcome, and were still in a state of shock in the 25th minute, at which point a Manuela Giugliano corner was allowed to go through to Girelli, off whose thigh the ball bounced into the far corner of the net, with no-one covering the far post from a Jamaican defensive perspective. 2-0 very nearly became 3-0 sixty seconds later, Campbell stepping in to prevent Bonansea from converting another chance. The resulting corner was taken by Valentina Cernoia, and saw Schneider block Valentina Bergamaschi's back-heeled effort before Daniela Sabatino battered a shot against the crossbar. Jamaica survived that scare, and instantly launched a counter-attack in which Allyson Swaby picked out Olufolasade Adamolekun beyond the far post. She looked to pick out Grey with her cross, but Italian captain Sara Gama was on hand to head clear. Ten minutes before half-time, Gama, goalkeeper Laura Giuliani and Khadija Shaw had a coming together near the edge of the penalty, with the Jamaican the only player standing in the aftermath. Referee Keighley was allowing play to continue until realising that the goalkeeper was involved, just as Grey was preparing to fire into an untended net. A halt to proceedings was swiftly called, much to the disappointment of the partisan crowd, who were keen to see underdogs Jamaica find the net. They had certainly been probing the Italian defence,

but penetration was proving difficult with Gama in particular in fine form. It wasn't a problem at the other end of the park from Italy's perspective, however, and right on half-time Sabatino went close to making it three when heading over Cernoia's corner. Inside the first sixty seconds of the second spell, Italy did indeed make it 3-0, Girelli beating Schneider in the air to complete her hat-trick by heading home Giugliano's cross. Being three goals down didn't phase the Jamaicans one iota. They kept on coming, but found Gama and company nigh on impregnable. Not even a boot in the face from Shaw, as she went for spectacular overhead kick while Gama looked to head clear, could put off the Italian captain - rock solid, in the great tradition of Italian defenders. That incident, on the hour, was followed ten minutes later by another opportunity for the Jamaicans, only for Giuliani to tip Den-Den Blackwood's shot onto the bar, to which Italy responded by netting their fourth goal in the 71st minute. And some goal it was - a sure-fire contender for Goal of the Tournament! Elena Linari played the ball wide to substitute Lisa Boattin, who came in-field before squaring the ball to fellow replacement Aurora Galli. From the moment the ball left her boot, there was only one place it was going, and not even a brilliant attempt by Schneider could divert the sphere from burying itself in the top corner of the net - a fabulous strike from thirty yards! After Bonansea went close, Gama blocked a Blackwood drive before Galli made it five with nine minutes remaining, rounding Schneider on receipt of Giugliano's defence-splitting pass and slamming the ball into the empty net. To their eternal credit, Jamaica never gave up in their pursuit of a goal, and they were still threatening as the game entered stoppage time. Giuliani turned Havana Solaun's shot to safety to confirm a clean sheet and a 5-0 win to Italy, who advance to the last sixteen as a result of this emphatic triumph. Jamaica:     Schneider (booked, 12); Campbell, Plummer, A. Swaby, Blackwood; Adamolekun (Silver, 76), Solaun, C. Swaby (Sweatman, 46), Asher; Grey (Brown, 65), Shaw (booked, 59) Italy:          Giuliani; Guagni (Boattin, 57), Gama, Linari, Bartoli; Bergamaschi (Galli, 65), Giugliano, Cernoia; Sabatino, Girelli (Giacinti, 72), Bonansea Referee:     Anna-Marie Keighley (New Zealand)