Colombia’s Under-20 Women’s National Team closed out its Women’s U-20 World Cup campaign on a historic note, edging Italy in a penalty shootout to secure third place in the tournament on September 26. It marked the best finish ever for the Colombian squad at this level.
The road to the podium wasn’t easy. After falling 3-0 to North Korea in the semifinals, the South American side regrouped to face Italy in the third-place match. Colombia and Italy played to a 1-1 draw through regulation time and extra time, forcing the contest to a shootout. Colombia held its nerve, converting enough penalties to win 4-3 after 12 total attempts and claim the bronze medal.
Despite the on-field triumph, the celebration came with a cost. FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee issued a financial penalty against the Colombian federation, tied to the number of yellow cards (cautions) the team accumulated throughout the tournament — a routine but sometimes overlooked consequence of disciplinary buildup in international competitions.
Still, the sanction did little to dim the achievement. Colombian football fans have plenty to celebrate after their young players wrote a new chapter in the country’s soccer history, proving themselves against some of the toughest competition in women’s youth football worldwide.
For more details on the fine and the match itself, check out the original report from El Tiempo.
Source: La sanción de la Fifa a la Selección Colombia tras ganarle a Italia el tercer puesto del Mundial Sub-20 Femenino (eltiempo.com).
Image: usarjnco, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).