Cancer survivor, Linda Caicedo on Tuesday morning sealed a win for the Powerpuff Girls of Columbia over South Korea 2-0 in a group H encounter of the women’s world cup at the Allianz Stadium, Moore Park in Australia.
Jet black complexioned 18year old Linda of Real Madrid playing for the first time for Columbian senior team in shirt number 18 had Ovarian Cancer from age 15. She had pounced on a weak goal kick shot, beat two defenders in a row and curled the ball that slipped through the hands of Korean goalkeeper in the 39th minute into the net.
Catalina Usme had opened goals account for Columbia in the 30th minute from the penalty spot sending the ball into the bottom –left corner and making the Korean goalkeeper go the wrong way.
S. Shim had handled the ball in the box, bagging a yellow for stopping a goal bound shot though unintentionally.
Columbia has never conceded a goal after 70 minutes of their games. They dismissed Korea here with their first half performances.
The Powerpuff girls are now level with Germany on points though inferior by goals aggregate. Germany had whipped Morocco in the highest scores so far at the tournament 6-0 in the group opener yesterday Monday.
Koreans have lost their opening games in each of their four appearances at the mundial failing to score in each of those games and conceding a total 11 goals now.
South Korea and Columbia met twice on 10th November 2017 when South Korea won 2-1 and on 26th of March 2019
Columbia nicknamed THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, seem to have been fired up while on preparation for the tournament defeating Paraguay 2-0 on 20th November 2022; played goalless with USA on 29th January 2023; defeated Japan 2-1 on 28th March 2023; piped Iraq 1-0 on 16th June 2023 and on 20th June unbelievably beat Germany 2-0.
South Korea had beaten Portugal in a World Cup game 2-1 on 2nd December 2022 but lost to Brazil 4-1 in another world cup game on 5th December 2022. South Korea lost to Uruguay in a friendly match 1-2; lost to Peru 0-1 on 16th June 2023 and played 1-1 with El Savador on 26th June 2023.
Columbia is in her third appearance at the world cup but her best performance was to place 12th at the games in Canada 2015 after losing to USA 0-2 in the Round of 16 at Edmonton on 22nd June.
South Korea , THE ASIAN TIGERS are in their 4th appearance but her best performance too was in the Round of 16 at the same games in Canada 2015 where France stopped the Tigers by 3-0 on 21st June at Montreal.
Still expected are New Zealand versus Philippines at 0630 hours and Switzerland versus Norway at 0900 hours.
Morocco will try to redeem their image against South Korea on 30th July in the second round match at Hindmarsh Stadium Adelaide while Germany will same day meet Columbia at Sydney Football Stadium. The last group matches will be between South Korea and Germany at Lang Park, Brisbane on 3rd August with simultaneous matches seeing Morocco and Columbia at Perth Rectangular Stadium.
On Wednesday, 26th July Japan will meet Costa Rica in a group C second round match at 6000 hours at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Sane day at 0830 hours it will be the turn of Spain and Zambia also in the second round matches of Group C. Canada will slug it out with Ireland at 1300 hours at the NIB stadium in a group B second round match where Nigeria is to earn her first win.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
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