Linda Caicedo scored the goal with which Colombia beat Argentina 1-0. Photo: Getty.
At just 17 years old, the youthful Linda Caicedo scored the goal with which Colombia beat Argentina 1-0 and qualified for the final of the Copa América Femenina, the 2024 Paris Olympics and the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand 2023.
In the semifinal played last night at the Alfonso López stadium in the Colombian city of Bucaramanga, the coffee growers beat some rivals who did not have their best day and will now play direct qualification for the World Cup in the match for third place, in which will face the losers of the duel Brazil-Paraguay.
With this result, Colombia will play its third World Cup after having participated in Germany 2011 and Canada 2015, as well as its third Olympics, after having gone to London 2012 and Rio 2016.
The Argentines, led by Germán Portanova, took control in the first few minutes thanks to the good work of their trident in midfield: Daiana Farfán, Romina Núñez and Florencia Bon Segundo.
Precisely the first opportunity came at minute 3 in a play in which Núñez was hand in hand with Colombian goalkeeper Catalina Pérez, who managed to deflect the ball and send it to the corner kick to prevent her rivals from celebrating.
The hosts, meanwhile, appealed to strong play and were imprecise in the delivery, they had many difficulties to approach the opponent’s area with danger.
Although Argentina lost clarity, it had its second chance to score in a very fast play in which Yamila Rodríguez took advantage of a lack of concentration by the central defender Jorelyn Carabalí and enabled Estefanía Banini, who took a very strong shot at 16 that once again made the Perez goalkeeper.
Rodríguez, a Boca Juniors player, was an incessant headache and wreaked havoc on Colombian soil, although at times she looked very lonely.
The locals began to balance the game at the hands of the youthful Caicedo, who began to be unbalanced with her mobility and how difficult it was to find in the attack front for those who marked her.
Precisely she had the first opportunity of the hosts in a one-on-one in which Leicy Santos left her and in which her shot was saved by Vanina Correa.
Colombia continued to do damage and had another chance to score, this time with Mayra Ramírez who received in the area, undid with a turn of two rivals and took a bitten shot that crashed on the horizontal.
For the complementary stage, the hosts maintained the momentum with which they closed the first half and continued to attack under the baton of Santos.
La Albiceleste, meanwhile, lost the leading role it had in the first few minutes and only managed to get close to Pérez’s goal with a mid-range shot by Bon Segundo that the Colombian goalkeeper saved without problems.
In this context, the local team scored, as the winger Mónica Ramos sent a cross that, after a failed attempt to reject a central defender, reached Caicedo, who received, got rid of a rival and took a left-footed shot that was impossible to stop. for Correa at 63.
The match became increasingly difficult for those led by Portanova, who did not find depth and were left with 10 players on the pitch at 73 when right-back Gabriela Chávez was sent off for a double warning.
The coffee makers maintained their dominance, continued to attack and even came close to increasing the difference. However, the 1-0 was enough to secure qualification for the final, in which they will seek their first Copa América title on Saturday in Bucaramanga against the winner of the duel between Brazil and Paraguay.
