SYDNEY — Hervé Renard is aware of all about World Cup shocks. He additionally is aware of an early setback may be overcome in worldwide soccer.

With that in thoughts, the France coach was not unduly involved by his workforce’s 0-0 with Jamaica on Sunday, which was one of many largest surprises to this point on the Women’s World Cup.

Renard led Saudi Arabia to a well-known win towards Argentina on the males’s World Cup in Qatar final yr, earlier than Lionel Messi’s workforce rebounded and went on to raise the trophy for his or her nation.

“I’ve already won competitions after drawing my first two games,” stated the two-time Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach. “Let’s speak in regards to the World Cup 2022. I don’t assume that we needs to be getting forward of ourselves.

“There are lots of people, lots of teams that start with the fanfare and are not there come the final and others are maybe slow to get out of the starting blocks.”

While there isn't a want for France to panic, this was nonetheless an surprising consequence for the fifth-ranked workforce on this planet and one of many event favorites.

PHOTOS: Jamaica holds France to a 0-0 attract a stunning Women's World Cup opener

By distinction Jamaica is ranked forty third and entered the event co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand having misplaced all of its video games at its World Cup debut in 2019 with a purpose distinction of -11.

“We always tell our players just don’t worry about the rankings,” stated Jamaica coach Lorne Donaldson, who declared his nation’s first level ever within the competitors as its biggest achievement in soccer.

“I think it is the No. 1 result I have seen men or women,” he stated. “I would put it there. If you go by the rankings you would say that result on this stage has to be No. 1.”

Jamaica‘s players ran onto the field after the final whistle as if they’d been topped world champions. It would have been a really completely different story had Kadidiatou Diani’s Ninetieth-minute header not struck the bar.

In a recreation of few possibilities, Diani had France‘s finest alternatives to attain a winner, however couldn't discover a breakthrough on the Sydney Football Stadium.

She compelled a save from Jamaica goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer within the first half and noticed one other effort deflected huge.

Another header within the second half additionally went huge of the goal earlier than her late effort got here again off the bar.

The French had been anticipated to be too sturdy for Jamaica, however favorites haven't had every little thing their very own means to this point within the event. The 2019 quarterfinalists had been the most recent to battle towards an underdog.

Australia wanted a penalty to get a 1-0 win towards Ireland, whereas European champion England additionally wanted a spot kick to beat Haiti 1-0. Nigeria held Olympic champion Canada 0-0.

“The French are used to having the upper hand during the opening games, but this is something that is going to change because things are getting a lot closer,” Renard stated. “We need to keep our heads up high and we need to keep our confidence high.”

Jamaica did properly to disrupt a France workforce that struggled to place collectively fluid strikes.

In certainly one of France’s few moments of high quality within the first half, Diani noticed a low effort bundled across the put up by Spencer. From the ensuing nook, Wendie Renard headed over from shut vary.

Kadidiatou was fractions away from giving France a halftime lead when firing from the sting of the realm. Chantelle Swaby managed to get one thing in the way in which of the shot, which deflected narrowly huge with the keeper overwhelmed.

After seeing one other header go huge after the break, Kadidiatou nearly got here up with the decisive second when hitting the bar.

On an in any other case joyous evening for Jamaica, it could come to remorse the purple card for star ahead Khadija Shaw, who will likely be suspended for the following recreation.

What’s subsequent

France performs Brazil in Brisbane on Saturday. Jamaica travels to Perth the place it can face Panama.

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