BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian fans kept their celebrations in check despite their team making some history at the Women’s World Cup on Thursday.
Colombia advanced to the knockout round but a 1-0 loss to Morocco in the final group-stage match made it bittersweet for the only fans in South America who have their team in the round of 16.
It’s the first time Colombia has topped its group. The Colombians last reached the knockout round in 2015 and will face Jamaica for a spot in the quarterfinals. Morocco also advanced from Group H. Germany and South Korea were eliminated.
Families of players of Colombia’s national team had muted celebrations at home. That was the case in the city of Candelaria, where the parents of teenage sensation Linda Caicedo live, in the southwest of the country.
Herlinda Alegría, the mother of the 18-year-old Caicedo, told local media she suffered a lot during Thursday’s tense match in Perth that Morocco surprisingly won and put Colombia at risk of elimination or finishing second in the group. The 1-1 tie between Germany and South Korea secured the top of the group for the Colombians.
“She is doing what she always wanted to do,” an emotional Mauro Caicedo, the player’s father, told local media.
The family of midfielder Lorena Bedoya watched the match in the city of Medellín and also celebrated without excesses. Her mother, Luz Marina, said she feels “totally proud” of her daughter.
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