Linda Caicedo is quick turning into the largest story of the largest Girls’s World Cup so far.
Her beautiful objective to arrange Colombia’s shock 2-1 win on Sunday over Germany, one of many event favourites, was the most recent magical second from the 18-year-old Actual Madrid ahead.
However her performances on the sector have been dimmed for some by issues about her well being.
The objective towards Germany was much more exceptional contemplating there have been doubts Caicedo, who recovered after being identified with ovarian most cancers at age 15, would be capable to play after an episode in coaching earlier within the week.
In a video launched by Colombian media outlet DSPORT, she was seen holding her chest after which voluntarily going to the bottom.
Head coach Nelson Abada stated it was a end result of stress and fatigue, including there was no downside. There was the same rationalization on Sunday after one other incident involving Caicedo.
There’d been no indicators of lingering results when she stepped round two German defenders within the 52nd minute and lashed a shot into the highest nook for one of many objectives of the event up to now.
However then, within the 83rd, she dropped to her knees behind the play earlier than mendacity face down on the grass as Colombia’s medical employees went to her support.
Scenes like this are extraordinarily uncommon in soccer’s prime flight.
And given the World Cup is being held through the winter months in Australia and New Zealand, excessively excessive temperatures can’t be blamed. The night temperatures in Sydney have been round 57 levels Fahrenheit (14 Celsius).
Once more, Colombia’s employees dismissed issues concerning the teenager’s well being.
We all know that Linda had some issues up to now, however nothing to be anxious about, assistant coach Angelo Marsiglia stated.
She was very uninterested in course. She had a little bit of acceleration in her coronary heart, however this wasn’t an issue.
Caicedo continued to play after receiving on-field help on Sunday night time earlier than being substituted off in stoppage time, with Marsiglia saying she was exhausted.
With a objective in every of her opening two video games on the event, Caicedo is rising to expectations at her first World Cup. She is exhibiting no indicators of being weighed down by her billing as one of many brightest abilities in ladies’s soccer.
With extra eyes than ever on the event, there might be better scrutiny of her well being because the competitors progresses. Any extra apparent episodes of fatigue or exhaustion are more likely to increase welfare issues.
Participant well being and damage restoration on the Girls’s World Cup finally comes all the way down to the medical employees of every nationwide group.
Whereas FIFA has its personal medical group on the World Cup to supply recommendation as wanted, soccer’s world governing physique stated every group’s physician has autonomy and supreme accountability for his or her gamers.
Caicedo as soon as feared she’d by no means play high-level soccer once more after her most cancers analysis. At that time, she had already made her debut for the senior nationwide group and professional group Amrica de Cali.
However she recovered and joined Actual Madrid in February. Final yr she led Colombia’s Below-17 squad, who have been runners-up on the U-17 Girls’s World Cup, and in addition appeared for the Below-20 squad.
In her debut on the senior World Cup, Caicedo additionally scored in Colombia’s 2-0 win over South Korea.
Colombia’s second win all however secured the group a spot within the knockout stage. Las Cafeteras will advance except they lose to Morocco by at the least 4 objectives on Thursday and Germany attracts or beat South Korea the identical day.