On July 25, 2024, the Colombian women’s national football team, known as the “super-powered girls,” will kick off their Olympic journey. They are set to play against France at 2 PM in the Group A match of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium. It’s crucial to note that this team is the only representation from Colombia in any team sport at this year’s Olympics.
The team’s first opponent, France, boasts the experienced coach Hervé Renard, who is notable for his strategic brilliance, including a memorable upset of Argentina during their debut at the Qatar 2022 World Cup with Saudi Arabia. France’s squad includes key players such as Wendie Renard, Delphine Cascarino, Griedge Mbock, and Grace Geyoro, who are expected to play significant roles in their pursuit of Olympic gold.
Historically, Colombia and France have faced off three times, with Colombia recording two losses and one draw against the French side. Their first encounter took place on July 31, 2012, at St. James Park, where Colombia fell 1-0, thanks to a goal from Élodie Thomis.
Nonetheless, “Las Cafeteras” have a strong legacy to draw upon as they prepare for their opening match in the tournament. Highlighting their previous success, they triumphed over France during the 2015 Women’s World Cup held in Canada. That match took place on June 16, 2015, with Lady Andrade scoring the opening goal in the 19th minute, assisted by Yoreli Rincón. In the closing moments of the match, Catalina Usme sealed a 2-0 victory, resulting in Colombia’s first win in that tournament.
Their journey in the 2015 World Cup was challenging, culminating in a total of four points. They had a 1-1 draw against Mexico in their opening match and suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against England. Unfortunately, Colombia exited the tournament in the Round of 16 after a loss to the United States, a powerhouse in women’s football.
In recent encounters, Colombia faced France on April 7, 2023, and suffered a tough defeat, losing 5-2. Delphine Cascarino and Eugénie Le Sommer scored twice each for France, while Grace Geyoro also contributed to the scoreline. Colombia managed to get on the board through goals from Daniela Arias and Catalina Usme.
With players like Linda Caicedo, Lady Andrade, Leicy Santos, and Daniela Montoya, Colombia is eager to change their fortunes against the hosts in the first match of Group A at the Paris 2024 Olympic football tournament. Here’s the schedule for Colombia’s matches:
On July 25, 2024, they will play France at Parc OL in Lyon at 2 PM. Following that, on July 28, they will face New Zealand at the same venue at 10 AM. Lastly, on July 31, Colombia will take on Canada at the Allianz Riviera in Nice at 2 PM.
As the team prepares for their Olympic debut, fans will be watching closely to see if Colombia can rise to the occasion and make history on the world stage.
Image and News Source: https://www.infobae.com/colombia/deportes/2024/07/25/este-fue-el-unico-partido-que-la-seleccion-colombia-femenina-gano-ante-francia/
