One of the most anticipated days has arrived for Colombia in the U-20 Women’s World Cup. The youth national team will play against The Netherlands in the quarter-finals at the Pascual Guerrero stadium in Cali, and for the first time, a packed stadium hopes to advance to the semifinals of this tournament.
The team led by coach Carlos Paniagua arrives as the only undefeated team, having amassed four consecutive victories while also keeping their goal clean thanks to the good performances of their goalkeeper Luisa Agudelo, along with the defensive work of the backline.
Colombia is unlikely to change much from the team that beat South Korea in the round of 16, with only doubts in the defensive area, as defender Yunaira López is still recovering from her concussion but has been able to train with the team. It is clear, however, that they will not rush her back, especially against a highly competitive team like The Netherlands, so she probably won’t be ready to reappear in the starting lineup.
One of Colombia’s strengths is undoubtedly having a player like Linda Caicedo, who has carried the team on her shoulders when they have needed her the most. However, the major weakness is their lack of finishing in the offensive part, as they were superior against the South Koreans but squandered several opportunities. Furthermore, they have yet to have a flawless game throughout the U-20 Women’s World Cup, as all matches have been quite fought.
On the Dutch side, the only enforced absence for the match at Pascual Guerrero is midfielder Ilse Kemper, who received a yellow card against France and will miss the quarter-finals against Colombia due to accumulation. Therefore, coach Roos Kwakkenbos will have to find a suitable replacement to strengthen the midfield.
Similarly, The Netherlands arrives with three victories, one of them in extra time against the French, one defeat 2-1 against powerhouse North Korea, and a 3-3 draw against Argentina. However, they have not been superior to their rivals in any game, which may allow Colombia to take advantage of being the home team and even having better collective play.
Additionally, The Netherlands does not have a clear top scorer; although their forward Fleur Stoit scored against France, the player who has scored the most in the U-20 Women’s World Cup is defender Veerle Buurman, who has two goals to her name.
The match is likely to be quite even, but Colombia must prove that their unbeaten record is not by chance, as this will be the first European team they face in this World Cup, so their game must improve to avoid suffering in the match.
Probable lineup Colombia:
Luisa Agudelo; Katerine Osorio, Cristina Motta, Mary José Álvarez, Sintia Cabezas; Natalia Hernández, Gabriela Rodríguez, Juana Ortegón, Yéssica Muñoz, Linda Caicedo, and Karla Torres.
Probable lineup The Netherlands:
Femke Liefting; Emma Frijns, Veerle Buurman, Djoeke de Ridder, Louise van Oosten;
Nayomi Buikema, Kealyn Thomas, Bo van Egmond, Robine Lacroix, Iris Remmers, and Fleur Stoit.
Colombia vs The Netherlands
Date: Sunday, September 15, 2024
Time: 4:30 p.m.
TV: Caracol / RCN / DSports
Online broadcast: futbolred.com
Stadium: Pascual Guerrero, Cali