Who will Nelson Abadia pick in his final squad? GOAL takes a look…
The Colombia national women's team is set to play in their third FIFA Women's World Cup finals in July, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand.
Their best finish was in the 2015 edition when they reached the round of 16 but were beaten 2-0 by eventual winners USWNT (United States Women's National Team).
They qualified for the 2023 Women's World Cup by virtue of making it to the final of the 2022 Copa America Femenina. Linda Caicedo's goal against Argentina propelled them to the summit clash where went down by a slender margin of 1-0 to Brazil.
In 2023, they have not been able to hit the top gear as they have won only one out of five matches. However, they are set to play a few more friendlies against Panama & Japan, where coach Nelson Abadia would look to fine-tune his squad, before the first match in the World Cup against South Korea on July 25.
Apart from Korea, they will lock horns against Germany and Morocco in Group H.
Who can Abadia pick in the World Cup squad? GOAL takes a look…
Catalina Perez is the number one choice between the sticks for Colombia. She was the shot-stopper during Copa America and was also entrusted with the responsibility in the recent friendlies against Italy and France.
Abadia trusts her abilities and barring any injury concerns she should have the gloves in Australia.
Sandra Sepulveda, the 35-year-old keeper of Independiente Medellín, is a solid backup given her experience. While the place for the third spot is up for grabs between Stefany Castano and Katherine Tapia.
Name
Club
Catalina Perez
Avaí
Sandra Sepulveda
Independiente Medellín
Stefany Castano
Deportivo Cali
Katherine Tapia.
Palmeiras
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DEFENDERS
Abadia likes to stick to four defenders in defence.
Daniela Arias and Jorelyn Carabali are the two first-choice centre backs. The coach does not like to shake up things at the heart of defence and generally likes to stick to the duo. Arias is versatile and can also slot in at a full-back position if required.
Meanwhile, Daniela Caracas of Espanyol is the preferred option at right-back. However, Monica Ramos is a stiff competitor and was handed the start against Italy and France in April which shows that Caracas has to put her best foot forward in the upcoming friendlies to nail down her spot.
At left-back, Manuela Vanegas is the undisputed starter. The Real Sociedad defender is 22 years old and her work rate in both attack and defence is simply incredible.
Name
Club
Daniela Arias
América de Cali
Korina Clavijo
Colo-Colo
Viviana Acosta
Santa Fe
María Morales
Deportivo Cali
Jorelyn Carabalí
Atletico Mineiro
Monica Ramos
Gremio
Daniela Caracas
Espanyol
Manuela Vanegas
Real Sociedad
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MIDFIELDERS
Abadia likes to have two pivots in his team to give more protection to the defenders.
Lorena Bedoya and captain Daniela Montoya are the preferred defensive midfielders. Both players are integral to the team and act as the fulcrum that balances the entire unit.
Montoya's passing ability help them to ignite fast transitions after the ball is won back from the opposition. Whereas, Bedoya lies deep and absorbs the pressure when the team is chasing the ball.
Diana Ospina is another able candidate in the defensive midfield position who is mostly brought on in the latter stages of the game.
The three players behind the lone striker have often shuffled around since Abadia has plenty of options in the advanced areas.
Catalina Usme is a versatile player who can slot in at number 10 and if necessary can also drift wide to the left. Meanwhile, Real Madrid's Linda Caicedo is the favoured option on the right flank. The 18-year-old is considered to be a prodigy who is destined for great things and will be one of the youngsters to look out for in the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Atletico's Leicy Santos, America de Cali's Elexa Bahr and 31-year-old Yisela Cuseta are the other options who add depth to the squad.
Name
Club
Liced Serna
Valencia
Yisela Cuseta
Ferroviária
Diana Ospina
America de Cali
Lorena Bedoya
Real Brasília
Daniela Montoya
Atletico Nacional
Angie Castañeda
Cacereño
Carolina Arias
Junior
Gabriela Huertas
Santa Fe
Liana Salazar
Corinthians
Catalina Usme
America de Cali
Elexa Bahr
America de Cali
Leicy Santos
Atletico Madrid
Linda Caicedo
Real Madrid
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FORWARDS
Mayra Ramirez of Levante should have the responsibility to lead the lines in Australia. She had been incredible form in the Spanish league and has scored 14 times in 27 appearances.
Meanwhile, Ingrid Guerra is another forward with immense potential. The 20-year-old plays for Atletico Mineiro and makes regular appearances for the Brazilian outfit. She has two goals in 13 appearances this season.
With Ramirez set to start in most matches, Guerra can be used as an impact substitute if Colombia are looking for goals as she has the pace to trouble defenders.
On the other hand, 32-year-old Tatiana Ariza is another experienced candidate who adds variety to the attack.
