The Colombian women’s team had been undefeated since it qualified for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand: they had played nine games, with seven wins and two draws, but the demand did not go beyond facing rivals from all over America, plus a couple of games once morest Zambia and another once morest Nigeria.
(In context: Women’s Colombia suffers a very hard win in the exam once morest France)
Nelson Abadía’s team lacked a greater challenge, to face a European team once more. Colombia had not faced a team from the Old Continent since August 3, 2016, at the Rio Olympics. That day they lost 4-0 once morest Francethe same rival he faced this Good Friday.
Colombia was excited for 55 minutes and then received a reality check: France exposed its defensive errors and, following losing 0-2, ended with a win that should leave the coaching staff with many issues to review.
These are the five conclusions left by Colombia’s defeat at the Clermont-Ferrand stadium.
The good: the still ball is the most important of the National Team
Catalina Usme demonstrated her weight in the National Team with her participation in the team’s two goals, both by the same way: collections from the side. One was deflected by Daniela Arias and the other went directly into the goal. It was Colombia’s best offensive weapon in the game, which the coach will have to complement with other ways of arriving.
The physical difference is important
Colombia ran out of air following the draw by the French, who played as they pleased in the last half hour to change a game in which they were surprised and then ended up winning widely. That downturn cost the Abadía team dearly.
(Also: The tremendous scare due to the fall of several trees in the middle of the Augusta Masters; video)
Missed hand from the bank
Unlike what was done by the French coach, who changed the game with three modifications at halftime, the Colombian coach lacked a lot of hand to try to straighten out his team’s performance. He changed piece by piece when the game was 3-2 and things got worse. And then he put in three modifications with five minutes to go. More than looking for alternatives, he tried to plug holes.
The bands, a headache
They have been criticizing Abadía for a while for not putting a specialist on the right side. Mónica Ramos, who does better as a midfielder or central defender, has been greatly outmatched playing as a marker in that area. And in one of the changes, he put in Daniela Caracas, who suffered exactly the same. On the left, things were no different: Manuela Vanegas had no support and France’s first two goals came from there.
The team fell apart mentally
After having France down two goals, Colombia did not recover from the second goal. Even before it was 2-2, Mayra Ramírez, another of the highlights of the match, crashed a ball into the horizontal. The team not only melted physically, but also mentally: they did not assimilate the goals once morest and ended up clearly outclassed.
(It may interest you: Sports programming for this Saturday, April 8)
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