Colombia scored its final goal in the 97th minute of its match on Sunday (July 30) to beat two-time world champion Germany in a shocking victory, 2-1, in the FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament. It was 22-year-old Manuela Vanegas who came up with the incredible header to give Colombia the win.
Earlier in the match, Colombia’s 18-year-old phenom Linda Caicedo found the net with a jaw-dropping kick at the start of the second half. Did we really just witness that?
This was the first time since 1995 that powerhouse Germany was defeated in the World Cup group stage. They now fall behind Colombia in the standing for Group H. Going into the tournament, Germany was ranked No. 2 after the United States. Colombia was ranked No. 25.
“From the beaches of Cartagena, to the streets of Bogotá up to the mountains in Medellín. Manuela Vanegas’ late winner could be heard all over Colombia,” tweeted the official FIFA Women’s World Cup account.
The stadium erupted when Vanegas scored the final goal to seal Colombia’s victory.
After the match, fans cheered and danced on the streets.
They reacted just as enthusiastically online when Vanegas made the incredible goal and celebrated with her teammates on the field.
According to stats from FIFA, Colombia’s opening victory against South Korea was seen by 9 million viewers, which was the South American country’s biggest audience ever for a World Cup match. We can’t imagine what the numbers will look like for its match against Germany.
Colombia has a long way to go before the finals, but right now they are on top of the world.
