This article is part of the Guardian’s Women’s World Cup 2023 Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 32 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 20 July.
Overview
Faithful to the style of football associated with Colombia, Nelson Abadía’s team seek to incorporate a tiki-taka style, often thrown together in a 5-2-2-1 or 4-2-3-1, that relies on pace on the flanks to create danger. Colombia waltzed into the World Cup by stringing together five straight wins in the Copa América held on home soil last year, including a semi-final victory over Argentina, to reach the final in Bucaramanga and book their World Cup ticket. In front of a sold-out crowd and with millions more tuning in at home, Colombia then gave Brazil their first proper test of the tournament before wilting late in the game. The one-goal defeat was seen as major progress for Colombia against a side that has long ruled the continent; this was their eighth South American title out of the nine contested since 1991.
However, despite capturing the nation’s attention and for all their bright buildup play of short passing and quick movements, the coach has not yet been able to resolve a fundamental flaw that could prevent them from reaching the next level. While Colombia are often pleasing on the eye, they are profligate in front of goal and their decision-making in crucial moments is often questionable. This anxiety in the final third may prove to be their undoing.
Nonetheless, this is still an exciting mix of young talent, such as Real Madrid’s Linda Caicedo, alongside the vast experience of players such as midfield leader Daniela Montoya and the all-time leading scorer, Catalina Usme. United through strong personalities, daring ideas and peppered with an abundance of tricks and skills, a style of play has been forged that reflects the raw and unbridled football that many of these players first discovered playing on the many dusty, rock-strewn pitches across the country.
“Our strategy started out by seeking an identity and style that was consistent with our country’s idiosyncrasy – about what our football is all about. That has now lifted Colombia into an important position,” Abadia told El Espectador last year.
Their preperations for the tournament were overshadowed by the fallout from a friendly against Republic of Ireland, which was abandoned after 20 minutes after the Europeans claimed the game had become “overly physical”. Colombia said Ireland had “preferred not to continue playing” and defended their players’ style of play. “Although all the processes and training of our teams are framed within the rules of the game, healthy competition and fair play, among others, we respect the decision of our rival team,” a statement from the federation said.
The coach
Nelson Abadia, 67, has spent more than 40 years in football and has earned a reputation as a coach who develops talent. In 1977, he was made head of the men’s youth teams at América de Cali, one of Colombia’s biggest clubs, before later coaching several second division teams. In 2016, he was appointed manager of the nascent América de Cali women’s team after a short spell as assistant manager of the women’s national team. Since 2017, he has been manager of las Chicas Superpoderosas. However, he has been accused of blacklisting several leading players, many of whom still play in the world’s top leagues, due to the role they played in bravely speaking out about abuses in the women’s game in 2019 and the indifference long displayed by the federation to address these issues.
Star player
Team captain and the example that others follow, Catalina Usme recently struck her 50th goal for Colombia, to consolidate her place as the country’s all-time leading goalscorer. Star of the Colombian league where she is also the leading scorer, Usme has landed two titles with América de Cali and last year bagged her 30th goal in the Women’s Copa Libertadores to also lead the goalscoring charts in South America’s biggest club tournament.
“Throughout my playing career, I’ve learned that leading by example is the best way of demonstrating leadership,” said Cata, as she is fondly known. “You can have good or bad days, normal days or spectacular days where you get carried out on somebody’s shoulders, or people drag you down and hit you hard. But what I will never do is to stop working hard.”
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Rising star
The rise of Linda Caicedo over the past year has been exponential. In 2022, the Cali-born player finished as runner-up in the Copa América and the Under-17s World Cup, while also sealing a bumper transfer to Real Madrid upon turning 18 in February. With two Colombian league titles already under her belt, her goals and technical ability on the ball have transformed the teenager into one of the hottest young talents in women’s football.
Did you know?
Caicedo made her debut in 2018 when she was 14 before winning her first league title with América de Cali a year later. That same season, at 15, she finished joint top-scorer of the league. In a busy 2022, she represented Colombia at the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups, while also leading the seniors to qualification for this tournament. Chosen as the best player at the 2022 Copa América, aged 17, she was also picked as the best under-20s player in the world by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.
Born in 2017, the women’s league has been plagued by problems and scandals principally caused by a lack of support provided by the country’s male-dominated footballing bodies. This has resulted in haphazard tournaments often cobbled together at the last minute and played out over irregular periods ranging from 45 days (2021), to the current five-month format, despite assurances from the league president that this year’s league would extend to a full year. While this paucity of interest from the top of the game has stunted progress, most league games are televised and more than 30,000 fans packed El Campín in Bogotá for this year’s championship showdown between Santa Fe and América de Cali. Fan interest is evident and increasing, but players are still demanding the league does more to support them.
Realistic aim for the World Cup?
Players believe now is the time to make history. “We have a strong group including Germany, who are a world power. But Colombia can take on any team,” striker Mayra Ramirez said. Women’s football is growing in Colombia and this is a team blessed with talent and some big players. A lot will rest on Caicedo, but the ambitious goal set is to break their record and go at least one stage further than the last-16 finish achieved at the 2015 World Cup in Canada. With the under-17s reaching last year’s World Cup final and the under-20s reaching the last eight in Costa Rica in 2022, Colombia have already achieved considerable success at youth level. The goal now is to transfer that progress to football’s biggest stage.
Written by Andrés Osorio Guillot for El Espectador
