The Colombian U-20 women’s team is still alive, very much alive, in its intention to reach the World Cup in Costa Rica. It was a game with football and character, to beat Venezuela 3-0 and come very close to qualifying. A victory or a draw against Uruguay, on Sunday, gives him the quota.
Colombia, from the outset, took risks. It was necessary to win and with that scenario, the team gave a little defense, trying to take over the midfield and touch the Venezuelan area.
Something more than football was needed to try to make a difference. And that was noticeable from the attitude on the field, and also outside. Rafael Zabaraín, the psychologist of the Colombian National Team, did not stop shouting from the western stand of the Nicolás Chathuán stadium, in La Calera.
Colombia scored the clearest they had, in the 36th minute, in a great play by María Camila Reyes, who started from the left, reached the bottom line and touched back, with an inside edge, for Gisela Robledo to score the 1-0.
The score could have been even wider, because Colombia missed an incredible goal, shortly after Robledo’s goal: Gabriela Rodríguez, facing the goal, only had to push the ball. She got it wrong and threw her outside.
Colombia controlled the game in the second stage, hardly allowing Venezuela to go beyond the middle of the field, and they arrived with property. Even, once again, the arbitration left doubts, in a play in which Mariana Muñoz shot at the goal in the 59th minute: the ball hit a rival and goalkeeper Hilary Aguaje slapped her and seemed to get her out. In this tournament there is no VAR…
Although Colombia lost their concentration a bit after that action, they later returned to the attitude they had had at the beginning of the second half. And Ingrid Guerra appeared, the top scorer in the Women’s League, to score the second goal, at 31 minutes in the second stage: He tried a central from the left, but the ball bounced off a Venezuelan defender. The ball fell at his feet again and this time he changed his intention: he hit it from the right and crossed it to the other post. great goal
In such a tight home run, everything that happens counts. And the third goal was key: And it came in the second minute of substitution, with the same protagonists of the first: a great pass by María Camila Reyes and a shot by Gisela Robledo, with a dribble before the Venezuelan goalkeeper.
Colombia left its difference in zeros and was left with more goals in favor than Uruguay, his rival on the last day, on Sunday at 4 in the afternoon. Thus, as it happened this Thursday, the Paniagua team will have to go out and win. But the draw will also serve you. This match against Venezuela, the National Team showed a lot of character.
SPORTS