Colombian team: courage is worth much more than the game… (Meluk tells him)

I am not going to repeat last Sunday’s column, the one about the triumph of Colombia about Australia in the debut of Women’s U-20 World Cup. But the beginning is the same: in the absence of football, the dead ball can be the sharp sword that breaks the knot with one blow and releases the game.

In another very tangled, complicated and convoluted game, this time against Cameroonin another corner with a two-step cross, Colombia achieved the victory of qualification to the round of 16 of the World Cup at home.

The header of Yesica Munoz, In the 67th minute, he was sensational: he raised his 1.62 metres of height as if he had rockets in the studs of his boots – look how high he rises in the opening photo of this page! – and with a hammer shot, hitting the crossbar and falling in, he finished it off.

Yésica had only been on the field for 5 minutes, after replacing Karla Torres, who kept his 1.71 metres of height in the locker room. The victory was not easy at all, and the team once again showed more attitude, courage and commitment than play.

And that counts too! Of course it counts too!

Colombia was in a mess, with little play and ideas. They were more concerned about not being fragile or less strong in close combat against a rocky Cameroon, serious, judicious in their marking, powerful in duels and very dangerous.

Luisa, the figure

So much so that the great figure of the match was neither Yésica and her high jump goal, nor Linda Caicedo and her individuality and her role as a setter…

The star of the match was in Colombia’s goal: Luisa Agudelo, the goalkeeper who flew with the cape of Supergirl and defused four balls that threatened to explode into a goal. Fundamental and decisive.

Colombia plays at home and that counts: the judge did not give a penalty against him for an open arm, an elbow forward, an extended hand Sintia Heads...

Colombia won and qualified. And they won well because in this game it is often more important to have courage and determination than football…

Gabriel Meluk Orozco

Sports Editor of THE TIME

@MelukLeCuenta