U-17 Women’s WC Final: Spain, Colombia pin hope on their linchpin

Whenever they have found themselves in trouble, Spain and Colombia have relied on Vicky Lopez and Linda Caicedo respectively to dig them out of it. Be it Lopez’s twin strikes late in the quarter-finals against Japan that took Spain through or Caicedo’s goals in crunch situations throughout the tournament for Colombia.

When the teams clash in the final of the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup at the DY Patil Stadium here on Sunday, they will again depend on their key player to help take the final step.

When the teams clashed in the group stage, Spain won 1-0 thanks to Jone Amezaga’s 85th-minute strike. Spain were dominant in possession led by Lopez, who was the livewire and dictated proceedings. The Barcelona player starts as an attacking midfielder but has the liberty to roam the pitch, and is a link between the defence and the forwardline. The 16-year-old also likes to play on the wing or in forward positions.

Colombia were no match to Spain on that day but have grown in confidence marching ahead in the competition riding on goals from Caicedo, top scorer in the tournament with four goals. The Deportivo Cali player, who has already played for the senior team in the 2022 Copa America Femenina, is a strong presence in front of the goal and keeps switching from the wing to centre to the front of the attack.

On the eve of the final, both coaches acknowledged the role played by Vicky Lopez and Linda Caicedo so far.

“Vicky has great qualities as a player but she can’t win the games on her own. Having said that, she plays in an area which is very important for the team to create chances,” Spain coach Kenio Gonzalo said.

His Colombian counterpart Carlos Paniagua called Caicedo a born leader, on and off the pitch. “Linda is really important for us. She is our captain and all the players feel motivated when she is around, not only on the field but also back at the hotel, during training, while travelling… She is not only a quality player but a good human being,” Paniagua said.

Spain will be keen to retain the title they won in 2018 and it would further enhance their status as a growing force in women’s football. They beat Germany 1-0 in the semi-final, exacting revenge for their defeat in the final of the 2022 UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship this year.

Colombia, who beat Nigeria on penalties in the last four, have already created a buzz back home having made it to the final for the first time. In four previous appearances, they were knocked out in the group stage.

Germany will take on Nigeria in the third-place match.