SYDNEY (AP) - A most cancers survivor, a Real Madrid star and now a scorer on her debut on the Women’s World Cup. Linda Caicedo is an inspirational determine already on the age of 18.

Her broad smile on the finish of Colombia‘s 2-0 win over South Korea on Tuesday lit up Sydney Football Stadium nearly as a lot as her abilities on the sector.

Having feared this second would by no means come when recognized with ovarian most cancers aged 15, she made probably the most of being on the most important stage in girls’s soccer.

“It is my first World Cup with the senior team and therefore I have to enjoy this tournament,” Caicedo stated. “No pressure. I know how young I am, everything that I (still) have to learn, the experience that I have to get.”

Caicedo talks and performs with a maturity past her teenage years.

As a toddler prodigy, she made her senior crew debut aged simply 14. Then got here the most cancers analysis which threw such a promising profession into doubt.

Now, right here she was, lighting up the World Cup with a efficiency that justified her standing as one of many rising stars of the game.

“I just try to enjoy this moment,” she stated, cautious to not over-think issues or lose sight of the larger image. “A football player has to be focused.”

South Korea couldn't comprise Caicedo, whose pace and footwork continuously pressured her opponents to retreat.

That was the case as she burst ahead from the midway line within the first half earlier than doubling Colombia‘s lead and successfully placing the end result past doubt.

Cutting in from the left wing, she beat quite a lot of Korean gamers earlier than curling in a shot from the sting of the field. While her effort appeared too central to bother South Korea‘s Yoon Young-geul, the goalkeeper acquired her positioning flawed and as a substitute fumbled the ball into the web.

Caicedo definitely didn’t thoughts getting the serving to hand as she raced towards Colombia’s followers in celebration.

South Korea coach Colin Bell was much less impressed together with his crew’s defensive marking.

“Obviously Linda is a really big talent, but we just gave her too much space, ” he stated, including that his defenders ought to have gone in for agency however honest slide tackles. “We had the options to do that also before the second goal. You cannot just shadow a player. You need that physicality but obviously Linda is capable and very strong in one-v-one.”

Bell’s frustration was evident on the finish of the sport, however stopping a participant of Caicedo‘s qualities is less complicated stated than achieved.

“This was a football exhibition and also a confidence exhibition. she brings joy to everyone,” Colombia‘s assistant coach Mario Abadia stated. “It’s great to see such players, how they evolve and how they take ownership of such a game like she did.”

In a second for the historical past books for gifted teenagers, 16-year-old Casey Phair turned the youngest-ever participant at a senior soccer World Cup when she went on as a second-half substitute for South Korea.

By then, it was too late.

The Colombians took the lead from a penalty within the thirtieth minute after Shim Seo-yeon dealt with a goal-bound effort from Manuela Vanegas within the space. Catalina Usme transformed from the spot.

Caicedo’s purpose gave the Colombians an even bigger buffer.

Lee Geum-min was near pulling a purpose again on the finish of the half with a strong header, however was denied by the flying save of Catalina Perez.

These had been the final two groups to start their campaigns within the event co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, and it was the three hundredth sport in Women’s World Cup historical past.

The win might be essential to Colombia’s possibilities of advancing to the spherical of 16 after Germany delivered a press release of intent in Group H with a 6-0 rout of Morocco on Monday.

WHAT’S NEXT

Colombia and Germany meet in Sydney on Sunday, whereas South Korea and Morocco face one another in Adelaide on the identical day.

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