Colombia is for the first time in the final of a World Cup. This feat was not achieved by the senior men’s team, nor by any of the junior men’s teams, nor by the more experienced women. It was the under 17 women’s team. The team, led by the captain and scorer Linda Caicedo, won the semifinal against Nigeria on Wednesday in an exciting penalty shootout, which ended with the save of goalkeeper Luisa Agudelo, the youngest of the Colombian players.
The team, led by coach Carlos Paniagua, will play the final against Spain this Sunday, October 30, at the DY Patil stadium at 9:00 a.m., Colombian time. “We wanted to win in 90 minutes, but we worked on penalties, even in the order we kicked today. It is difficult, but it is admirable that these young players have the personality to go to this definitive stage and represent the entire country”, said Paniagua at the end of the match.
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WE ARE FINALISTS OF THE FIFA U-17 WORLD CUP!
GRAAAAANDEEEEEEE COOOOOOOLOOOOOOOMBIIIIIIIAAAAAAA
💛💛💙❤️#WeAreColombia🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/sy8l63an3X
– Colombia Selection (@FCFSeleccionCol) October 26, 2022
Colombia’s victory against Nigeria 6-5 on penalties, after a goalless draw in 90 minutes, completes a series of good results that began in March in the South American championship in Uruguay.
There, the Colombian youth team qualified for the World Cup after beating Peru 7-0, Chile 3-1, Ecuador 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0 in the initial phase. In the South American championship, the team also won 2-0 to Paraguay and 3-0 to Chile. The only match they lost was against Brazil, in the final, 1-0.
During the World Cup in India, the squad in which Yésica Paola Muñoz and Gabriela Rodríguez have also been key lost the first game against Spain, but won the other two in the group stage against China and Mexico. In both games, Linda Caicedo scored and is the current top scorer in the championship with four goals. In the quarterfinals, Colombia defeated Tanzania 3-0 with goals from Linda Caicedo, Yésica Muñoz and Gabriela Rodríguez.
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After the historic victory, many athletes and politicians have congratulated the youth team. From the scorer Radamel Falcao García to the president Gustavo Petro, who wrote on his Twitter account: “The Colombia Women’s Under 17 National Team makes history in the World Cup. Not only do they deserve all our admiration and recognition, but they deserve living wages, a women’s league, sponsorships, and the full support of the national government. We believe in and support women’s football.”
The statements of the president of the republic contrast with the unfair pronouncements made by the president of the Colombian Football Federation, Ramón Jesurún, in recent weeks, when he said that “the prizes are only given to professional soccer players, they are girls amateurs”. Only after last Saturday’s victory against Tanzania, the Federation published a press release in which it promises to provide incentives for the players.
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