The Women’s World Cup has reached the round of 16 in Australia and New Zealand. With so much attention on the United States team and their ups and downs, it can be easy to overlook one of this cup’s most exciting teams: Jamaica! At the end of the group stage round, they pulled off a 0-0 tie with world heavyweight Brazil. Because of standings and points, Jamaica advanced and sent Brazil home. A huge story from this match was the end of the historic world cup career of Brazilian star Marta, generally regarded as the greatest women’s soccer player of all time.
But the Jamaican team deserves so much praise. From a sports standpoint, this was a win against pretty steep odds. Brazil is ranked 8th in the world and has a storied history. Jamaica is ranked 43rd in the world and doesn’t have much of a history at all. They will now go on to play in the knockout round, moving one step closer to a chance at the World Cup title. This is an even more incredible feat considering they almost didn’t make it there at all.
A GoFundMe launched by Jamaican player Havana Solaun’s mom raised $45,000 to cover some of the costs of travel. Discussing the importance of the fundraiser with the Associated Press, Solaun’s mother stated: “They shouldn’t be worried about the politics or getting a flight or getting accommodation.” This is a very true statement that illustrates the kinds of obstacles women athletes too often have to deal with, especially compared to their male counterparts.
Another GoFundMe, created by the Reggae Girlz Foundation, also raised $45,000. Together, these funds have helped the team with basics like travel and food expenses, as well as having staff to bring to the tournament.
While FIFA member associations are supposed to cover the costs of basic expenses like transportation and accommodation, a number of Jamaica’s team members posted a statement earlier this year expressing their “utmost disappointment” with the Jamaica Football Association.
“On multiple occasions, we have sat down with the federation to respectfully express concerns resulting from subpar planning, transportation, accommodations, training conditions, compensation, communication, nutrition and accessibility to proper resources,” the statement reads. “We have also showed up repeatedly without receiving contractually agreed upon compensation.”
According to the statement, the team had to miss multiple friendly games leading up to the World Cup, thanks to “the extreme disorganization of camp logistics.” That would, they said, “undoubtedly impact our preparation for Australia.
It seems whenever these big international events come around, the inequities in men’s and women’s sports are made clearer and clearer. Of course, the United States’ women’s soccer team has had a heated battle over fair pay, with a victory earlier this year thanks to the Equal Pay for Team USA Act.
The Jamaican team’s off-the-field struggles, combined with their on-the-field success, illustrate the need to support women in all forms. Women’s sports deserve respect from fans and management alike. My humble opinion is that in many ways, sports like soccer and basketball can be more fun to watch on the women’s side anyway! And it is so important that little girls around the world believe that there is something to reach for and aspire to, and believe that they can have financial success at the top also.
Jamaica’s next World Cup Match is Tuesday, August 8, at 4 am EST against Colombia.
(featured image: Will Murray/Getty Images)
