By: Daniel Yao
The great booming sounds of South Americans beholding soccer relocated down the Australian East Coast from Brisbane to Sydney on Sunday night, only this time they reached the kinds of delirious decibels only sports can cause. The kind that goes into ears and out in goosebumps.
If you’ve never heard the kind of sound caused by thousands of Colombians screaming with joy, you should. And it came about 44 minutes after a marvel of a goal by a marvelous teen that loosed a marvel of a sound in this marvel of an upset. Once the marvels finished piling up, the dazzling 18-year-old Linda Caicedo stood atop this Soccor World Cup.
On a second straight night of roars from South, Germany’s soccer team seem to flounder through a goalless first half and early in the second. A Colombian counter led to the ball caroming among players in the box.
Born in the town of Candelaria in the metro area of Cali, Caicedo brings another reminder of how the world continues to fashion little girls who grow up to cause big sounds. Now she fielded the ball on the left side of the field and put a move you wouldn’t want to try to solve on Germany’s Svenja Huth, who flew by. Another defender, Sara Dabritz, remained nearby on Caicedo’s left, but Caicedo let fly with a ball that rose and curled through the traffic, tucked itself, inside the right post, dented the right side of the net, and sent so much of the place into enviable hysteria.
In the recent match, Colombia put up a great fight and showed impressive energy and determination. However, in the 88th minute, a moment of brilliance from the German team caused trouble. A fantastic pass from Dabritz found its way to substitute Lea Schuller, who quickly back-footed it to Lena Oberdorf. Despite the best efforts of a defender, Oberdorf managed to get in front of goalkeeper Catalina Perez. Unfortunately, Perez was forced to trip Oberdorf, resulting in a penalty for Alexandra Popp. Popp, with her years of experience, remained cool under pressure and scored an excellent goal down the middle while Perez guessed and lunged to her left.
The match between Colombia and Germany was intense and closely contested. Colombia showed impressive energy and determination throughout the match. However, in the 88th minute, a moment of brilliance from the German team resulted in a penalty for Alexandra Popp. Despite the best efforts of goalkeeper Catalina Perez, Popp remained cool under pressure and scored an excellent goal down the middle. This left a draw most probable, until Colombia’s Mayra Ramirez made one last charge down the right, missing high and wide and falling into a heap on the grass. However, the referee allowed time for one last Colombia corner, and the night had one last astounding sound in it. And that sound wait Columbia Won!