Women's World Cup: Colombia roared on by expatriates and good feeling before England meeting

Kevin comes from the Colombian municipality of Guarinocito, but has lived successful Australia for the past 7 years

When England look Colombia successful their Women's World Cup quarter-final connected Saturday, they volition not conscionable beryllium facing opponents who person an awesome blend of accomplishment and physicality, younker and acquisition - they indispensable besides flooded the Colombian fans.

Some whitethorn person flown implicit from Bogota, but a ample fig were successful Australia already, portion of expatriate communities of Colombians recovered crossed the country.

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"Many radical deliberation we each conscionable travelled present to ticker the World Cup, but determination are tons who unrecorded here," Valentina Pena, sports broadcaster for W Radio Colombia, told BBC Sport.

"There is simply a inclination successful Colombia to spell and enactment successful Australia, to travel, to survey English, galore Colombians are doing that. So determination are a batch each implicit Australia.

"And the happening is, we are not lone truthful many, we are truly large - we are Latino people.

"Maybe for the Sydney games, radical travelled from different cities.

"For Perth (for the lucifer v Morocco), determination is simply a large Colombian basal determination due to the fact that it is overmuch easier to get a enactment visa - the Australian authorities wants radical to spell to Perth.

"We saw tons of Colombians - I adjacent recovered a precocious schoolhouse person I didn't cognize was there."

According to the latest census successful 2021, determination are much than 38,000 Colombia-born radical present permanently surviving successful Australia, portion much than 28,000 Colombians are successful the state as students oregon connected pupil visas.

One of those Colombian expats is Kevin, who has lived successful Brisbane for the past 7 years.

After watching galore of the World Cup games successful his adopted hometown, helium travelled overnight to Melbourne for his nation's 1-0 last-16 triumph implicit Jamaica, which booked their archetypal Women's World Cup quarter-final and a gathering with the Lionesses.

Kevin - named aft Hollywood histrion Kevin Costner arsenic his parent was a large instrumentality - told BBC Sport: "When we get we person a benignant of pupil visa, a fewer radical past enactment full-time successful Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane - we person a truly large assemblage of Colombians.

"Also determination are Brazilians, Argentinians, Mexicans and they are supporting us, due to the fact that we are Latin Americans, we are together."

'This is simply a watershed infinitesimal for Colombian football'

Colombian fans filled Melbourne with sound and colour earlier their World Cup last-16 triumph implicit Jamaica

The thousands of Colombian fans who person attended games person been treated to immoderate of the champion shot played astatine the tournament, particularly from teenage winger Linda Caicedo who has established herself arsenic 1 of the astir breathtaking talents connected the satellite stage.

Colombia manager Nelson Abadia acknowledged the fans pursuing the triumph implicit Jamaica, feeling galore had been drawn successful by the team's benignant of play.

"The affirmative interaction [of the fans] is thing the squad takes with america connected the pitch," helium said. "It is simply a imperishable collaboration.

"Colombia are interesting, this has captivated the fans. This is acknowledgment to the mode we play, we are speedy and person craft."

Those fans witnessed 1 of the World Cup's astir singular results successful Colombia's 2-1 triumph implicit two-time champions Germany successful Sydney.

Manuela Vanegas' 97th-minute headed victor sparked chaotic celebrations successful the stands, and highlighted the singular emergence of women's shot successful Colombia.

They reached the finals of some the Under-17 World Cup and the Copa America Feminina successful 2022, earlier this World Cup tally successful 2023.

Despite narrowly missing retired connected hosting this World Cup - Colombia's bid was beaten by Australia and New Zealand successful the last circular of voting - the state has embraced this squad to the extent, Pena says, that the women's kit has sold retired successful Colombia.

The triumph implicit Germany "is going to beryllium a cardinal point, a earlier and after" successful Colombian women's football, she said.

"For men's shot successful Colombia, we drew 1-1 against Germany successful the 1990 World Cup, with a last-minute goal. And we celebrated a necktie with Germany similar winning the World Cup.

"Now really getting to bushed Germany, it was similar the state was paralysed - everybody successful Colombia could lone speech astir these girls.

"What they are doing here, it is going to alteration perspectives. Brands and companies are going to commencement getting much involved, which is the world if women's shot is to beryllium arsenic profitable arsenic men's soccer."

'England won the lottery - truthful let's spot what happens'

Colombia defender Daniella Arias celebrates with supporters astatine Melbourne Rectangular Stadium aft they bushed Jamaica

So Colombia person momentum connected and disconnected the tract arsenic they instrumentality connected England, who volition commencement arsenic favourites astatine Stadium Australia connected Saturday, contempt their underwhelming last-16 showing against Nigeria.

When asked astir the imaginable of facing the Lionesses, protagonist Kevin jokingly calls it "a nightmare".

But helium added: "To play successful that signifier [quarter-finals] against the European champions, that volition beryllium tough.

"But they amazed us, due to the fact that against Nigeria, they drew, they won successful the lottery [on penalties]. So we tin play, let's spot what happens, let's bash it."

Whatever happens against England, the Colombian supporters volition bring noise, colour and pridefulness to Australia's nationalist 80,000-seater stadium.

"When they were singing the nationalist anthem against Germany, the full stadium, it was a sound I person ne'er felt successful my life," says Pena.

"I spell to galore men's squad games successful Colombia, I've ne'er felt thing similar that.

"If they [the players] consciousness that energy, they volition springiness their champion connected the pitch. They consciousness similar the full of Colombia is supporting them."