Colombia’s Linda Caicedo’s face was aglow with sheer delight as the ultimate whistle blew Tuesday, however who may blame her?
Not solely is she gracing the Women’s World Cup stage, however she additionally pulled the killer second purpose, sending South Korea to the gallows.
At the age of simply 18, Caicedo has already emerged as an inspirational determine in ladies’s soccer.
Her journey to this event has been nothing in need of exceptional – a most cancers survivor and a star participant for Real Madrid.
Now, making her debut on the grandest stage of all of them, she continues to captivate hearts worldwide.
“I always say this: I am very young, extremely young, in fact,” Caicedo shared in her post-match interview after Colombia’s 2-0 overcome South Korea. “It’s my first World Cup with the senior team, and I intend to savor every moment. No pressure. I’m fully aware of the things I still have to learn and the invaluable experience I need to gain.”
Caicedo exudes maturity past her tender age, a top quality that units her aside on and off the sphere.
Having made her senior workforce debut on the jaw-dropping age of 14 and subsequently coping with an ovarian most cancers prognosis at 15, she has proven unimaginable energy and resilience, making her journey much more inspiring.
During the match towards South Korea, Caicedo’s abilities have been on full show, leaving her opponents struggling to maintain up together with her lightning-fast pace and mesmerizing footwork.
In a pivotal second, she burst forth from the midway line, leaving a path of defenders in her wake earlier than elegantly doubling Colombia’s lead, successfully sealing their victory.
Cutting in from the left wing, she maneuvered previous a number of Korean gamers, culminating in a elegant shot from the sting of the field.
While the trouble appeared routine, the South Korean goalkeeper misjudged the trajectory, inadvertently fumbling the ball into the online.
The South Korean coach, Colin Bell, acknowledged Caicedo’s immense expertise however expressed frustration over his workforce’s defensive marking.
He lamented their failure to problem her bodily, underestimating her prowess in one-on-one conditions.
In the match’s aftermath, Colombia’s assistant coach, Mario Abadia, could not comprise his admiration for the younger star.
“This was not just a football exhibition; it was a confidence exhibition. She brings joy to everyone,” he stated. “Witnessing players like her evolving and owning the game is truly a delight.”
Sixteen-year-old Casey Phair grew to become the youngest participant ever to grace the senior soccer World Cup when she entered as a second-half substitute for South Korea.
Colombia secured their lead early on, with a penalty within the thirtieth minute expertly transformed by Catalina Usme after Shim Seo-yeon’s handball within the space.
Caicedo’s purpose supplied them with a snug cushion, regardless of Lee Geum-min’s valiant try to drag one again with a strong header, denied solely by a spectacular save from Catalina Perez.
As the final two groups to kick off their campaigns within the match co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, they commemorated the three hundredth sport in Women’s World Cup historical past with a riveting spectacle.
For Colombia, this win may very well be the important thing to their development into the spherical of 16, particularly after witnessing Germany’s emphatic 6-0 victory over Morocco in Group H.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
