2023-08-22 08:32:49
She scored the most important goal in the history of Colombian women’s soccer and tears overwhelmed her. It was against Jamaica that Catalina Usme became the top scorer at the World Cups, qualifying for the first time in the quarterfinals of the tournament. “It came at a very special moment in my career, it was the slap that I often needed when I doubted the reward of work.”
“I love soccer, I love each one of these girls and that’s why I’m still here and I give it my all,” she told SEMANA, taking stock of Australia and New Zealand, a competition from which she came, as she herself describes, “with a very brave tusa ”.
He received the tributes with gratitude for being part of the eleventh that got among the eight best in the world. She always had the best attitude of hers and the right words of hers, but inside her there is a voice that keeps telling her: “we could have given more”.
Colombia women’s team. | Photo: Presidency
That is why he was inconsolable when the American judge Ekaterina Koroleva put her whistle in her mouth and marked the end of the match against England, while saying goodbye to Colombia in the World Cup. “In 2027 it will surely be my last World Cup, at least those are my plans. But I don’t know if life gives it to me as an active player or as a coach”.
However, he is insatiable. She is not going to stay with the desire to raise the orbital cup. In fact, in the Colombian Football Federation they opened that door for her so that she is the one who leads from the line the generation that pursues that dream.
“I had the opportunity to speak about it. I want to do my degree and finish my active life, but at the same time prepare to be a coach. It is a challenge that I have and I say it from now on: I want to be the technical director of the Colombian National Team”.
The women’s team was decorated at the Casa de Nariño and in Congress for its successful participation in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. | Photo: AFP
And she does know challenges in life, she has taken them on since she started kicking a ball in children’s teams in which, despite excelling, many times she was denied competition for the mere fact of being a woman. Her goal is so visualized that she already thinks of her coaching staff. “My technical assistant would be Andrés, my brother. My goalkeeper coach would be Sandra Sepúlveda, that is, she would bring people I trust completely.
“Win, we want the gold. I told them that I don’t want to go participate or see what will happen. Because we set the bar very high, I know we can’t expect less from us. Winning has to be a habit.”
That is why he decided to stay in the Colombian league, despite not being constant. She understood that references were needed in Colombian soccer and that’s how she consolidated. “If we are fair, neither Brazil, which is the champion of the Americas, nor Argentina, nor any team from America reached where we were, that speaks of the progress of our football and motivates us to improve further.”
Catalina Usme celebrating her goal in the Women’s World Cup. | Photo: AFP
Her good moment does not make her forget the more than 300 colleagues who are currently out of work in the country due to the fact that they did not play the league in the second semester. She learned to see opportunities in difficulties and to speak of the good as a way to attract better things every time.
“The tournament in Colombia has many things to improve, but you also have to recognize the good things. Here they gave us competition before traveling to the World Cup; the 11 called up by Colombia arrived with rhythm, thank God, they took us a month before to adapt. They bet on us.”
“To have a league for the whole year, 8,000 million is not enough, but it also has to do with wills. It is a process that we will continue to win. That’s why every goal we set ourselves is thinking about that, not fighting and fighting.” Catalina has taken off her cleats and uniform to put on her boots and overalls for the country’s soccer players, which is why she feels that her soccer work is about to culminate on coffee soil.
“I think the time has come for me to leave, I have offers on the table and I will most certainly take them. I will leave, it is the moment to do it because I want to close my career with an international title”. Although he won’t even be far away from working to build a profession with which you can live in Colombia. “The ambition is that as players we can say ‘I have a life project through football’”.
Catalina Usme thanked the expressions of affection from the Colombian fans. | Photo: DeFodi Images via Getty Images
She is not looking for her replacement, she trusts the new generation headed by Linda Caicedo, whom she defines “as a crack and a different player.” However, what she does seek is to be covered at all times.
“You have to understand her process. Embrace her, accompany her, help her, because she is very good but we cannot put the responsibility of everything on her, she needs a team that contributes to her talent. She won’t be able to alone.” He doesn’t stay up all night about the awards either. Fifa and the Federation will give you your hard-earned. “They are going to comply with us, we are very calm and it has not been a discussion.”
She does not enter into comparisons with men’s soccer, she feels honored to be compared to Falcao. “Very cool to be compared to someone so special who, like me, has given his life to the national team. We are similar in that we love our country very much, ”she concluded, the eternal leader of the Women’s National Team.
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