Linda Caicedo scored her first double with the Colombian women’s team, which beat Venezuela well

For different reasons, between injuries and adaptation to their new clubs, Catalina Usme and Mayra Ramírez had not been together in the same squad since their historic participation in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand ended, in which Colombia reached the quarterfinals. .

This Thursday, finally, Marsiglia had his base team almost complete, perhaps, with the absence of Manuela Vanegas, who was not called up on this occasion, and Catalina Pérez, who is already in field work after overcoming a knee injury at Werder Bremen.

However, it was not an easy match for Colombia. The Venezuelans pushed the Colombian defense and even scored a goal much celebrated by the public at the reopening of the Metropolitano de Lara stadium. However, their scorer, the well-known Ysaura Vizo, a former Unión Magdalena and Santa Fe player, was ahead.

The match had to be stopped in the middle of the first stage, because the excited local fans began to light flares with the colors of the flag of the two countries and we had to wait for the smoke to clear. While that was happening, Marsiglia was gesticulating on the side of the court and adjusting instructions.

(Also read: After controversy with Yoreli Rincón, another player accuses Catalina Usme of promoting vetoes)

The break was good for Colombia, which advanced the lines a little and began to put high pressure on its rival. And Linda Caicedo, who had been rather subdued until that moment, showed two examples of her enormous talent to resolve the match.

At 37 minutes, the Real Madrid player invented a player to score the 0-1. She received it with her back to the goal, turned, opened space and hit a very strong left foot to break the Venezuelan goal.

The pressure paid off for Colombia and two minutes later, Linda repeated, this time, after a recovery by Daniela Montoya, a filtered pass to Mayra Ramírez and a touch to the center so that the young figure of the National Team completed his first double with the Colombian shirt.

Marsiglia took advantage of the second half to refresh the roster, give some starters a rest and allow players like Manuela Pavi, Marcela Restrepo, Daniela Caracas, Liana Salazar and Wendy Bonilla to have minutes against a team that did not generate a single goal option in the second time, to the point that Sandra Sepúlveda, the starting goalkeeper, had to fly to save a ball that was going outside to show off.

On Sunday, at 6 pm, Colombia time, these two teams will meet again and it will be necessary to see if Marsiglia gives the base team another run or, as he did on the last Fifa date against Guatemala, sends play “second unit”.

Jose Orlando Ascencio
Sports Deputy Editor
@josasc