Colombia's dream in the World Cup is over, but the 'coffee makers' can return home with their heads held high after sneaking into a historic quarterfinal and putting the current European champions in difficulties, an England that ended up asking for the hour. The blaugrana team Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh -both playing the 90 minutes- will play the pass to the final against the hosts, Australia, who got rid of France in the morning.
Leicy Santos put Colombia ahead at halftime, but the English reacted before going to the locker room with a goal from Lauren Hemp. Alessia Russo, in the second half, made it 2-1 that would end up being final, despite the good opportunities that the 'coffee' team had in the final stretch.
Colombia, turned into the revelation of the tournament, wanted to continue surprising the world and enlarge its history in the World Cup against the great English power and for this Nelson Abadía lined up his gala eleven with the presence of the defense Manuela Vanegas, who did not participate in the round of 16 due to card accumulation.
But England wanted to show their favoritism and make it clear to the coffee makers that it would not be easy with a dangerous first approach four minutes into the game, when the Europeans had a triple chance that was blocked by the Colombian defense. Subsequently, the action was invalidated for offside, but it was the first warning.
Meanwhile, Colombia, who suffered an injury to Carolina Arias, felt uncomfortable without the ball and tried to go quickly on the counterattack with Linda Caicedo, who raised the entire stadium with her quality after a technical detail, but her shot went wide to the fourteen minutes of play.
England did not cede any meter to the 'Tricolor' and subdued Colombia with its dominance, which was unable to cross the dividing line. Lauren Hemp kept sending dangerous crosses into the box from Catalina Pérez, who caught a header from Alessia Russo, and Sarina Wiegman's team continued in its effort to suffocate Colombia by quickly recovering the ball.
After a corner, Rachel Daly finished off alone, but her header went straight into the hands of Catalina Pérez. Little by little, Colombia managed to reach the British area more clearly with Linda Caicedo, who entered the area at minute 38 and, with almost no space and surrounded by white shirts, managed to get rid of the rival defense to take an uncomfortable shot that was rejected Mary Earps.
And Colombia surprised again. When everyone was waiting for a cross, the Atlético de Madrid player Leicy Santos invented a great shot with which she beat the English goalkeeper from above (m.44) to put the South Americans ahead.
But the joy of Nelson Abadía did not last long, who, in the last action of added time and when the English attack seemed controlled, saw how Catalina Pérez slipped the ball from her hands and Hemp hunted the rebound to push it to the bottom of the net (m.45 7').
England kept pace and control in the second half against a desperate Colombia who tried unsuccessfully to reveal themselves and have more possession than in the first period. The English team was increasingly comfortable and Georgia Stanway assisted Alessia Russo between the lines, who came back from the match with a cross shot (m.63).
Problems were accumulating in Colombia and, after the injury of the central Arias and conceding the second goal, they suffered the loss of the goalkeeper Pérez, who had to be replaced with vision problems after a hit by the young rookie Natalia Giraldo. However, the Colombians did not lose hope and tried with a long shot from Durango that Earps saved with a good hand.
Led by Leicy Santos, the South Americans insistently sought an equalizer, coming very dangerously into the English area, but the Europeans were very confident defensively and the South Americans ran out of time to try to force extra time and continue making history in a World Cup that Colombia did not will never forget
2 – Inglaterra: Mary Earps, Jess Carter, Millie Bright, Alex Greenwood, Lucy Bronze, Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh, Rachel Daly, Ella Toone, Alessia Russo (Chloe Kelly, m.84) y Lauren Hemp (Beth England, m.93)
Head coach: Sarina Wiegman
1 – Colombia: Catalina Pérez (Natalia Giraldo, m.67), Carolina Arias (Ana Guzmán, m.10), Daniela Arias, Jorelyn Carabalí, Manuela Vanegas, Diana Ospina (Ivonne Chacón, m.78), Lorena Bedoya, Leicy Santos, Catalina Usme, Linda Caicedo and Mayra Ramírez
Coach: Nelson Abadía
Goals: 0-1, m.44: Leicy Santos, 1-1, m.45 7': Hemp, 2-1, m.63: Russo
Referee: Ekaterina Katja Koroleva (USA).
Incidents: Match corresponding to the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand played at the Australia Stadium in Sydney before 75,784 spectators.
