Colombia’s first step in the U-20 Women’s World Cup: home advantage must be taken advantage of… (Meluk tells her)

Yunaira Lopez knocked down the wall with a cannon shot. The dead ball is often the key that opens the lock. That’s how the lock was unlocked in the Colombian women’s team’s close debut in the U-20 World Cup last night at El Campín, beating Australia 2-0.

The match was poisoned: the rival defended comfortably and Colombia was stuck in a harmless attack.

Until a corner kick, eight minutes into the second half, clank! The lock was opened. Neither team headed the ball. The ball bounced off the shoulder blade of one defender, then hit the hand of another Australian and landed at the 18-yard line for Yunaira, who positioned the ball with her navel and uncocked her right rifle to break the goal.

It was the 1-0 that changed the match, because Australia came out of its cave and set sail to embark on the adventure to equalise. And they had it in the 70th minute, when the VAR disallowed their goal for a previous foul, three touches before the shot on goal.

Then, Linda Caicedothe star of Colombia, seven minutes later, secured the match playing as a 9 and not as a striker: he received a clean cross from Maithé López, who with her entry gave mobility, alternative and offensive air. He defined with a soft half turn and placed well away from the Lincoln goalkeeper.

Colombia’s first half was hardly discreet. The 0-0 was a testament to the Australians’ defensive security and the lack of offensive weight of Colombia, who had the ball and put the game into the rival field, but up to the edge of the area.

Before the break there were no chances to score and the only threat for the home team was Linda’s dribbling or speed, the weapon that Colombia used again from the start of the second half. Hardly natural: she is the best player on the team, one of the world’s elite.

The goal that opened the game

And with a little more speed and what they now call intensity, the team found the goal that changed the game…

Being a local team makes one think that the national team must be a finalist. This is a good idea. Linda, the captain and natural point of reference for the team, said it spontaneously:
“The objective is unique: to be champions.”

She is right that as a child she was already the second best footballer in the world. But beware! Only once in the previous 10 World Cups has a local team been able to lift the trophy: Germany, in 2010.

It won’t be easy, even though several of the players, starting with Linda, have already been runners-up in the U-17 World Cup. But being at home must serve some purpose: the foul that the VAR called to disallow Australia’s goal exists, it exists, but if it had been the other way around, they wouldn’t have given it. Sure. Colombia won fairly, and the first step towards the title has already been taken.

Meluk tells him

Gabriel Meluk

Sports Editor

@MelukLeCuenta

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