Colombia Loses the Quarterfinals in the Women’s Soccer World Cup, Making History

It couldn’t be. Colombia was defeated in the quarter-finals of the Women’s World Cup. The loss against England (2-1) ended the national team’s journey in the tournament. Nonetheless, under the guidance of Nelson Abadía, they have made history, matching the achievement of the men’s team in a World Cup.

Defeat against England

The match was fiercely contested by the South American team until the last minute. Abadía fielded his strongest lineup against the European champions. However, Colombia struggled to dominate the game and felt uncomfortable without the ball. The English team had a clear opportunity, but it was denied by the Colombian defense, in a play that was eventually ruled offside. At this point, Colombia’s most dangerous attacks were counterattacks led by Linda Caicedo.

The Real Madrid star had several chances, with the clearest one being an attempt in the 38th minute. Caicedo managed to maneuver through several opponent players and, slightly off balance, managed to launch the ball towards the English goal. However, Mary Earps easily saved the shot.

The dominance in the game was on the English side. Nevertheless, a powerful shot from Leicy Santos gave the Colombian team the lead just before halftime. However, Colombia’s joy was short-lived as, in the last play before the end of the first half, missed catch by goalkeeper Catalina Pérez resulted in an English equalizer (1-1) in injury time.

Second Half: A Fruitless Fight

The second half was similar. With England becoming more comfortable and Colombia holding on, trying to control the ball better but failing to do so. An assist from Georgia Stanway to Alessia Russo marked England’s comeback, with a well-placed shot that beat the Colombian goalkeeper in the 62nd minute.

More bad news followed for Colombia. In addition to the English goal, the Colombian goalkeeper was injured. Catalina Pérez tried to continue playing, but she couldn’t recover from the blow and was substituted in the 65th minute. This setback led to the debut of the young Natalia Giraldo, who held up well against the European team’s attacks.

From that moment, Colombian play was a constant determination to equalize. Various attempts, led mainly by Leicy Santos, repeatedly clashed with the solid English defense. Despite the efforts of the Colombian players, they failed to achieve their goal, and the match ended with England’s victory (2-1).

A World Cup to Remember

Colombia’s elimination doesn’t overshadow their historic participation in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. It will be remembered as a milestone for Colombian football. In the eyes of the international press, Nelson Abadía’s team was the revelation of the tournament, both in attitude and gameplay.

Their elimination in the quarter-finals equals the best performance in the history of Colombian football in a World Cup, matching the achievement of the men’s team in the 2014 World Cup. Furthermore, this experience solidifies women’s football on the international stage, following last year’s success with the runner-up title in the U17 World Cup held in India.

After the match, Colombian coach Nelson Abadía summarized his team’s participation in this World Cup. “It’s a very positive World Cup for us. We put on a good performance and take away lessons for the future and for football in our country,” said the coach, emphasizing the ambition of a team that aims to continue growing and making history in international football.

Reception from an Entire Country

Next Tuesday, August 15th, the national team will receive the country’s homage in Bogotá. The recognition event will take place at the Movistar Arena at 5:00 PM. Organized by the Colombian Football Federation, all fans who wish to attend will be able to do so for free.

It will be an opportunity to make the 23 players feel the support of the fans, celebrating what is already a significant milestone in Colombian national football.