11 August 2023 , 10:54
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England have walked out of one frying pan at this World Cup following their nervous penalty shoot-out victory over Nigeria.
And they’ll be fanning the flames of South American fire on Saturday night at Stadium Australia.
With a huge ex-pat backing, a tempestuous coach, players who booted Ireland out of a friendly and then told them to ‘eat s***’ for complaining, and a teenage Real Madrid starlet causing all sorts of problems on the pitch, Colombia are no one’s idea of ideal quarter-final opponents.
They are an accident waiting to happen, a banana skin, a team you really wouldn’t want to face with a World Cup semi-final at stake.
Whatever selection tactics Sarina Wiegman deploys, her players will need every ounce of their experience to withstand what will feel like an away fixture.
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With a large number of ex-pats in the country, the exiled community has given the south Americans the kind of backing that men’s winners Argentina enjoyed in Qatar.
Thousands of yellow-shirted Colombians are filling the streets on matchdays and the Germans - who faced the Coffee Growers in Group H, failed to cope.
The South Americans came into the tournament on the back of controversy - added a sprinkle more - and then let their football do the talking.
An initial friendly against Ireland was abandoned after midfielder Denise O’Sullivan was booted up in the air.
It led to conversations between Irish officials and the game was abandoned.
Centre-half Daniela Caracas was later overheard saying to a supporter: “They are just little girls.
“One foul and they started complaining.
“They were having a chat among themselves - we weren’t hanging around waiting for them. They can eat s***.’”
The Colombians weren’t even allowed to have coach Nelson Abadia on the sidelines for the opening two games of the competition.
He had been sidelined by FIFA following an incident eight years previously during the World Cup in Canada.
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“England are one of the favourites,” he said after Catalina Usme’s goal defeated Jamaica, “that goes without saying - they are the European Champions.
“But we also faced Germany - they are the second-best worldwide - but we were wise enough.
“We will be composed against England.”
In terms of the threats that the Lionesses will face, the main one lies in the prodigious talent of a teenage Real Madrid starlet.
(Getty Images)Linda Caicedo is only 18 years old but scored arguably the best goal of the tournament so far during the 2-1 defeat of Germany.
Another of a similar age, Ana Guzman, suggested England will have more than one attacker to worry about.
Skipper Usme, ahead of her country’s first quarter-final, was equally bullish.
“Our country is here to play seven finals,” she said. “We are prepared for this. We’ll take on England head-to-head and give our all.”
Ms Wiegman, you have been warned.