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18-year-old Colombian attacker Linda Caicedo has arrived on the world stage, stunning two-time World Cup champions Germany with a sensational goal in an unbelievable 2-1 upset on Sunday night.
Colombia won the match with a powerful header from 22-year-old defender Manuela Vanegas in the seventh match of stoppage time after Germany equalised through a penalty in the final minutes of regulation time.
It was Germany’s first group stage defeat since 1995, ending a 20-game unbeaten run – indeed, they had not trailed in the group stages in any game since 2003.
But the standout of the game was undoubtedly Caicedo, who has rocketed into the global limelight after a meteoric rise in recent years.
Caicedo made her senior club debut aged 14 in Colombia and debuted for the national team at 15, only to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer that year.
“At the time, I didn’t think I could play professionally again because of all the treatments and surgeries I had to go through,” she told FIFA.
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But after undergoing surgery and six months of chemotherapy, she was back playing – and continuing her journey to become one of the best young players in the world.
In the last 18 months alone, Caicedo has featured in South America’s Under 17 championships, the U-17 World Cup and then the U-20 WC.
Then, representing the senior side at the Copa America, she was named player of the tournament at just 17 years old. Caicedo guided the team to the final and earned qualification to this World Cup – her third World Cup tournament in the last 12 months!
Days after turning 18 in February, she was signed by Real Madrid – where she has already impressed, with two goals and four assists in 10 matches.
But it took the teen sensation just 39 minutes to blow up the World Cup. Debuting against South Korea in Colombia’s first game of the tournament, Caicedo raced down the left flank before cutting inside and rifling a long-range shot that slipped through goalkeeper Yoon Young-geul’s hands.
She was awarded player of the match in a 2-0 victory.
Assistant coach Angelo Marsiglia said afterwards: “She has been growing extraordinarily and has a very mature level.
“She did what she had to do and made the difference.
“She wants the ball, never hides, she’s from another planet, entirely unique.”
But there were huge concerns when Caicedo collapsed in training on Thursday while clutching her chest. Colombia downplayed the incident.
“Linda is very tired,” a Colombian FA medical staff member said.
“What happened was just a symptom of all the stress and physical demands. She is well and all is back to normal.”
She was subsequently cleared to play against world number two Germany on Sunday night – a team on a whole different level to South Korea.
The only nation outside the USA to win the cup more than once, Germany is a perennial powerhouse of the game and were widely viewed pre-tournament as contenders to lift the trophy again.
But Caicedo delivered another stunning goal.
The ball fell to her on the left side of the box. Caicedo neatly turned inside and beat two defenders with a silky touch before rifling a shot into the far corner of the goal.
Germany’s keeper was left helpless as the ball nestled inside the top corner, sparking wild celebrations among the 40,000-plus fans in Sydney – most of whom supporting the South Americans.
Germany hit back through a late penalty converted by superstar striker Alexandra Popp, before Colombia won it in stoppage time with a thunderous header.
But there was a scary moment in the final ten minutes as Caicedo collapsed to the ground without any contact with an opponent.
Medics rushed to her aid and tried to convince the coach to substitute her after she walked off the park, but she gave a thumbs-up and was cleared to play.
Fans and commentators were stunned that she returned to the park given her training collapse caused by ‘fatigue’.
And she even came close to sealing the win herself when a cross was drilled across the face of goal, but Caicedo stopped her run at the back post a metre or two short of a tap-in.
The tired teen was finally replaced in the last minute of stoppage time – earning rapturous applause – having covered 8.2km in the match.
Her very first coach, Diego Vasquez, told AFP that Caicedo is “one of these people who was touched by God, who was born for this.”
She may just be the future face of women’s football.
