In Focus: Colombia

Federación Colombiana de Fútbol

Current FIFA World Ranking: 28
2015 Women’s World Cup Qualifying: Runner-up of the 2014 Copa America Femenina
Women’s World Cup Finals Appearances: 2011, 2015
Record vs. USA: 0-2-0
Head Coach: Fabian Taborda
Championship Honors: 1998 Copa America Femenina Champions; Runner Ups in 2010 and 2014.
Leading Women’s World Cup Qualifying Scorers: Yoreli Rincon (3)
Key Players: Yoreli Rincon (ASD Torres), Sandra Sepulveda (Formas Intimas Medellín), Nataly Arias (Atlanta Silverbacks), Diana Ospina (Formas Intimas Medellín), Lady Andrade (Generaciones Pamiranas)

Colombia Women’s National Team Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Stefany Castaño (Graceland University), 12-Sandra Sepulveda (Formas Intimas Medellín), 22-Catalina Pérez (University of Miami)
DEFENDERS (5): 3-Natalia Gaitán (CD Gol Star), 5-Lina Granados (Vanderbilt University),13-Angela Clavijo (Club Kamatsa), 14-Nataly Arias (Atlanta Silverbacks), 17-Carolina Arias (Generaciones Palmiranas)
MIDFIELDERS (9): 2-Carolina Arbeláez (Formas Intimas Medellín), 4-Diana Ospina (Formas Intimas Medellín), 6-Daniela Montoya (Formas Intimas Medellín), 8-Mildrey Pineda (Generaciones Palmiranas), 9-Orianica Velásquez (CD Gol Star),10-Yoreli Rincón (ASD Torres), 11-Catalina Usme (Formas Intimas Medellín), 19-Leicy Santos (Besser FC), 21-Isabella Echeverri (University of Toledo)
FORWARDS (6): 7-Ingrid Vidal (Generaciones Palmiranas), 15-Tatiana Ariza (CD Gold Star), 16-Lady Andrade (Generaciones Palmiranas), 18-Yisela Cuesta (Formas Intimas Medellín), 20-Laura Cosme (Generaciones Palmiranas), 23-Manuela Gonzalez (Generaciones Palmiranas)

COLOMBIA ROSTER NOTES

• Forward Ingrid Vidal is the most capped player on the roster with 53 appearances for Colombia, the only player of the group with over 50 caps.
• Six players play soccer outside of Colombia. Defender Nataly Arias and midfielder Yoreli Rincon play for the Atlanta Silverbacks (USA) and ASD Torres (Italy), respectively, while four others play collegiately in the USA.
• Midfielder Catalina Usme is the leading scorer on the Colombian roster. She has scored 21 goals in international play.
• The next scorer behind Usme is Vidal who has racked up 11 goals in 53 appearances.
• Eight players on this roster took the field during the last meeting against the USA in July 2012.
• The average age of Las Cafeteras roster is 24 years old, with 19-year-olds Manuela Gonzalez and Leicy Santos being the youngest players, and 29-year-old Nataly Arias the oldest.
• Seventeen of the 23 players on the roster have made appearances in the World Cup, 12 have played in all 3 matches.
• The goal scorers in this year’s World Cup have been: Usme (1), Lady Andrade (2) and Daniela Montoya (1).
• This is the first time that Colombia has advanced past group play in a World Cup.
• Its 2-0 victory over No. 3-ranked France in group stage was the first time a South American side other than Brazil had ever won a match at the tournament. Las Cafeteras are ranked No. 28 in the world, and became the lowest-ranked team to beat a top-10 team at the Women's World Cup since FIFA rankings began in 2003.
• Colombia has only suffered two losses in 20 matches under coach Fabian Taborda, who was hired March 2014.
• Starting goalkeeper Sandra Sepulveda will miss the match against the USA due to yellow card accumulation.

USA VS. COLOMBIA SERIES

• The USA has an all-time record of 2-0-0 against Colombia dating back to 2011.
• The USA and Colombia are meeting in a World Cup for the second time. The last time was during a group play match in Germany in 2011. The USA defeated Colombia by a score of 3-0 as Megan Rapinoe, Heather O’Reilly, and Carli Lloyd scored.  Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, and Rapinoe had the assists.
• In both of the teams’ previous meetings, the USA has defeated Colombia 3-0.
• The last matchup between both sides came on July 28, 2012 in Glasgow, Scotland, during the 2012 Olympic Games. Once again, Rapinoe and Lloyd scored in the match, with Abby Wambach adding the third tally this time around.
• Twelve players saw action for the USA in its last meeting with Colombia at the 2012 Olympics are part of this U.S. World Cup roster. Two more who were on the substitutes’ bench that day, but did not see the field, are also part on the roster.