11 August 2023 , 11:58
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Colombia's coach Nelson Abadia prepared to face England by taking a day off - and ordered his players out to dinner.
The Coffee Growers shaped up for the quarter-final against the Lionesses by treating his entire squad and backroom staff to a slap-up meal to break the boredom of hotel life.
The 67-year-old wanted to give his players some down-time before they took on Sarina Wiegman ’s side.
He said: “After six weeks’ camp, sometimes you have a match that’s just mental, like this one. It’s given us a door to the last four.
“We needed to relax mentally, so the players could find themselves. We had a little recreation. We’ve been out to dinner. We needed to get out of the routine at the hotel."
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He added: "It can cause a little bit of fatigue. As a player or coach, sometimes this can be quite difficult.
“We wanted to bring back a bit of normality. We’ve taken a day off - and now we’re back.”
Abadia likened the prospect of facing England to playing a game of chess and referenced moving pieces around the board in order to combat the Lionesses’ strengths.
That may come as news to Sarina Wiegman who has had changed formation and personnel at this tournament due to Keira Walsh’s injury and Lauren James ’s dismissal against Nigeria.
He said: “We have analysed England quite a lot. We know who they are and what they have.
“We have faced European teams before. We know what they are. I believe this gives us a great chance of winning the match.”
Defender Mayra Ramirez also gave off a confident air. With an expected backing of over 30,000 Colombians expected in Stadium Australia, there will be no shortage of support.
She said: “We’re not worried. It’s going to be difficult but we have been preparing for this for months. I feel we can score goals at any point.
“We feel at home here in Australia. The public have been amazing. And they are going to be player No.12 for us.”