Catalina Usme, scorer historical of the selection Colombia, rounded off a half of a dream. The attacker and the captain of the America of Cali, led a team that managed to resist the stalking of the Sport Independent Medellín to lift this Monday as a visitor their first title for women in the third edition of the league in colombia, which was marked by the struggle of players against precarious work. His rival was unable to crown an improbable comeback in front of their public, under a heavy rain that does not give truce in the turf flooded the stadium Atanasio Girardot. The brand-new champions fell 2-1 in the return match, but prevailed 3-2 in the aggregate score.
After having won last week 2-0 in Cali, with so many of Usme and the midfielder Carolina Pineda, the America I savored the title. The youth Linda Caicedo, sensation of the tournament and highest top scorer with just 14 years old, opened the scoring with an exquisite definition, to chop the ball before the departure of Sandra Sepulveda, following a precise assistance of Usme. This enabled the team to cali, to manage the result. The brilliant performance of the goalkeeper american Natalia Giraldo held DIM, that, however tied the score in the first half with a penalty kick executed by Laura Aguirre. A long shot from the midfielder Paula Botero, in the absence of 20 minutes, will put you in suspense to a final stretch past the water.
At the beginning of August, Usme, recognized for its powerful punch for the free shots and the shots far away, it also marked head-goal in a 1-1 draw against favorite Argentina in the final of the Pan american Games. With that, already accumulated 25 celebrations with your selection. Coffee rose for the first time that title, with a taste to claim, after winning on penalties.
it Has been a busy year for the footballers of colombia, which in march, when they saw their league at risk in disappearing, had to walk their own revolution against sexism. The championship professional women in the andean country started to be played in 2017, when the Independent Santa Fe stayed with the first star –club in bogota was also the first champion of the professional football male in 1948–. Later, Atletico Huila held twice last year, by winning the second edition of the tournament and also, against all odds, the Copa Libertadores femenina.
Despite the fact that unexpected triumph, and the prestige achieved, the local league was in danger, because in the midst of the complaints which brought to light the working conditions unworthy that faced the players, the managers responded with an announcement that was widely regarded as discriminatory and in the mood for revenge. His proposal, which alleged low profitability, was to convert the women’s league in a tournament semi-professional, with an age limit of 23 years old that would leave for outside athletes such as Usme, 29 years of age.
Under the motto, More football, less fear, the athletes decided to break the silence and reported abundant irregularities in the management of the women’s national team. With the support of the Colombian Association of Professional Footballers (Acolfutpro), documented the hostile industrial environment, suffered and met with the authorities as the Vice-president, Marta Lucia Ramirez; the Ombudsman, Carlos Negret; and the minister of Labour, Alicia Arango. Aroused a wave of solidarity and managed to save the third edition of the league, which competed 20 teams throughout less than three months.
In selection, the accomplishments of the coffee makers in the last decade are unconcealed and include two vice-championships of the America’s Cup (2010 and 2014), two classifications to the World Cup (2011 and 2015) and two other Olympic Games (2012 and 2016), before the feat of the Pan american games. Several of the international colombian who were crowned in Lima play in other leagues, like the Spanish. Isabella Echeverry is in the Seville, Leicy Santos –big star Santa Fe that won the first tournament– at Atletico Madrid and captain Natalia Gaitan at the Valencia. But other figures played is edition of the championship of colombia, as Daniela Montoya in the Junior of Barranquilla or Usme in America. The short season is not yet over for the two finalist teams, who will compete between the 11th and the 27th of October, the Copa Libertadores femenina en Ecuador. There, Atletico Huila will also defend their continental crown.
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