…Netherlands Awaits Winner of Germany Versus Spain Match.
Wasteful hosts, Power Puff girls of Columbia were resoundingly sent out of the 2024 world U20 female football tournament 3-0 on penalty kicks by Netherlands after both teams played 2-2 draw when the Extra time was concluded on Sunday at Cali.
Dutch Goalkeeper, Femke Liefting who keeps the goal for AZ Alkmaar Female team dashed the hopes of the over 37,000 Columbian fans at the stadium with daring saves both at the match proper and the penalty shootouts.
Liefting psyched the Columbia shooters to lose their 3 penalty kicks while the Dutch scored their first three kicks. She made four saves at the Round of 16 matches against Columbia but has a total of 15 saves in five matches.
Photo by Eniola Olatunji shows Goalkeeper Liefting being mobbed joyfully by her colleagues immediately the penalty shootouts were over.
Karla Garcia had gotten a brace in the 14th and 63rd minutes but Fleur Stoitius goal in 37th minute and Christina Weiman’s goal in the 85th minute sustained the Dutch team. Christina came in for Louise Van Oosten in the 68th minute.
It was amazing how Columbia frittered away their good chances in the match where they earned 10-2 corner kicks; made 24-12 shots at goal and 7-5 shots on target. The Dutch girls snuffed out the Power Puff Girls with good ball possessions of 55-45% and put together better passes of 505-409. The entire stadium and nay entire Columbia populace was against the Orange Girls who shunned the crowd in their 13-9 foul charges.
Netherlands will now meet the winner of Spain versus Germany quarterfinal match in the semifinal on Thursday,
Netherlands and Columbia has no record of meeting each other before except at one Toulon Tournament on a 15th May when they played a goalless draw.
Netherlands had beaten Costa Rica 2-0; drew 3-3 with Argentina and lost 0-2 to North Korea at the group Stages before surprising France with a 2-1 victory at the Round of 16 games scoring 7 goals and conceding 6.
Netherlands is in her 2nd appearance at the age group tournament and in 2022 the Dutch girls lost the Bronze Medal to Brazil 1-4 in San Jose.
The Power Puff Girls of Columbia biggest win was a 9-0 victory over Peru on 17th January 2018 in Rio Bamba, Ecuador. Brazil gave the girls their highest defeat, 0-6 at Fray Bantes, Uruguay on 28th January 2014.
The team had at Germany 2010 lost the Bronze Medal to South Korea 0-1 at Belefeld where the team had lost the semifinal to Nigeria by the same margin. At the last games in Costa Rica, The Power Puff Girls lost at the quarterfinal stage.
At midnight, a final before final clash between another High scoring Japan with 15 goals scored and 2 conceded against Defending Champions, Spain will take place at Medellin with Ref Anahi Fernandez of Uruguay in charge and the last quarterfinal match to be played at Cali under Ref Oh Nyeon-Jeong will be between USA that has scored 12 goals and conceded 3 and the German Machine that has scored 13 goals and conceded 5.
North Korea earlier defeated Brazil by a lone goal to move into the semifinal.
Also Read:South Africa crushes Morroco 2-0 to reach Quarter Final
Columbia 2024: German Machine Wrecks Argentina 5-2 to qualify for the Quarters.
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The first semifinal will be played at 2230 hours of Wednesday 18th September between North Korea and USA/Germany at Cali at 2230 hours while the 2nd semifinal will be played on Thursday 19th at 0200 hours between Japan/Spain and Netherlands also at Cali.
The 3rd Place match for the Bronze medal will be played on Saturday 21st September at 2200 hours while the grand finale is on Sunday 22nd September also at 2200 hours.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
#FIFA #Columbia2024 #NorthKoreaFA
#RoyalDutchFA #SpainFA .
