Sydney was a sea of yellow shirts on Tuesday night, so much so that you assumed Australia must be playing. But the co-hosts had been in action 24 hours earlier and, instead, it was Colombian fans filling the streets and bars.
The Irish pub Cheers, on the city’s bustling George Street, was packed long before Colombia kicked off their last-16 clash against Jamaica.
A 1-0 win for the South Americans set up a quarter-final against England on Saturday — and the Lionesses can expect to be greeted by a wall of noise.
Around 38,000 Colombians live in Australia, with 11,000 in Sydney alone, but many other thousands have travelled. England will need to cope with an intimidating atmosphere — and a talented, physical team.
The most dangerous threat for Colombia is their 18-year-old Real Madrid sensation Linda Caicedo. The young talent has terrorised defences so far and scored a brilliant individual winner in their shock group-stage win over Germany.
Caicedo has been tipped for stardom since making her professional debut aged 14. In 2020, her progress was halted when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and she had surgery to remove a tumour and one of her ovaries. Six months of chemotherapy followed but, remarkably, Caicedo’s career has taken off since then, with Madrid beating off top clubs across Europe to sign her earlier this year.
England will need to be wary of her speed and technical ability. She can play on either flank, but usually operates on the left, where she cuts inside to maximise her eye for goal, and her battle with Lucy Bronze will be key.
Caicedo is an excellent finisher and was the joint top scorer at last year’s Under-17 World Cup, when Colombia finished runners-up. A few months earlier, she was named player of the tournament at the Copa America when, again, Colombia lost in the final.
Their strong showing in those tournaments underline how Colombia have a golden generation of talent coming through. Indeed, for yesterday’s game, first-choice full-back Manuela Vanegas was suspended, so 18-year-old Ana Maria Guzman was trusted to come into the team. She excelled, providing a brilliant assist for the only goal.
The winner was scored by Catalina Usme. The 33-year-old is one of several senior players who compliment the youthful exuberance of the squad, with Carolina Arias, Lady Andrade and captain Daniela Montoya playing vital roles.
Colombia play an attractive brand of football, but they are not afraid to be physical. Their behind-closed-doors warm-up match against Ireland before the tournament was abandoned after 20 minutes because the Irish were unhappy with some robust challenges. Ireland head coach Vera Pauw said her players “feared for their bodies”.
Women’s football is booming in Colombia, but four years ago their domestic league almost folded due to a lack of interest and funding. Beer brand Aguila, sponsors of the league at the time, stepped in and organised a brilliant initiative in which club badges split in half on shirts: the men’s team wore one half, the women the other.
The idea went viral on social media and supporters threw their support behind the women’s teams, with the emphasis being they are all one club. This year, the league’s final between Santa Fe and America de Cali had a crowd of over 30,000.
That support has translated to the national team, and Colombia’s first game at this Women’s World Cup generated viewing figures of 9million, in the region of 20 per cent of the potential TV audience in the country. That eclipsed all TV audiences in Colombia during the Qatar World Cup last year, except for the final.
Demand for tickets for Saturday’s game is huge, and a crowd of over 70,000 is expected. Sydney will be yellow again — and the Lionesses must prepare to feel like the away team.
