At the age of 18, the World Cup scored in the debut. A unique dream for any footballer. But Colombian Footballer Linda Kesedo is not just a story of dreaming. It is not a rate of returning stories to people. Kuchedo won the field after fighting outside the field.
Colombia won the Women's World Cup yesterday against South Korea 2-0. On the way to this victory, Caicedo scored the second goal for the team in the 39th minute of the match. The Colombian was also the man of the match in Sydney. The whole thing seemed unbelievable to him. Handing the award, he said, "I never thought that I would be able to fight with the team like this." My teammates gave me confidence. And I think I can help them on the field with my best. I am still very young. This is my first World Cup. I want to enjoy it.'
Apart from scoring goals for the team on this day, Caicedo caught everyone's attention with his speed and eye-catching dribbling. Although personally a fan of Alex Morgan of the United States and Alexis Putias of Spain, his teammates compare him with the Brazilian star Neymar. The two also have great similarities in their playing style. "He's a unique player," Colombia assistant coach Angelo Marsiglia said of Caicedo. He is also one of the most mature and leading players on the field. He is like a player from an alien planet, completely unique.
Caicedo has also made a great contribution to Colombia's third World Cup. Earlier, this footballer also led the team to the final in the women's Copa America. Although Caicedo did not win the trophy, he won the Golden Ball. Colombia beat Argentina in the semi-final with his goal. At that time, after taking the team to the final, Caicedo said, "I'm stunned, I can't believe it." I wasn't having a good time. But I took advantage of the opportunity to score. I have never been so happy. This night is not to be forgotten. As a footballer, this moment will always remain.
What will Kaisedo say after the World Cup goal? The scope of the dream has definitely increased now. Yet Caicedo's story is not just one of achievement. At one point in his career, everything came to a standstill.
Born on February 22, 2005, this footballer started his journey at the age of five. He used to practice with the boys then. "Playing with boys gave me this talent," Caicedo said, adding that he was able to develop himself better because of playing with boys. I realized that playing with them is very different physically and mentally. I am grateful for that.' Continuing that journey in football, Caicedo made his debut for the main team in 2019. At the age of 14, Caicedo started playing for Colombian club América de Cali.
But like a dream, the storm in that life comes in 2020. Affected by ovarian cancer. Recounting the experience, Caicedo said, "I thought I would never be able to return to football." On April 15 of that year, the tumor was surgically removed at the hospital. Then chemotherapy started. The efforts of the doctors and his determination to not give up brought him back to practice within five months of the surgery. Caicedo's comment about returning, "I am an example of how to overcome this problem and come back."
After fully recovering, Caicedo started showing his football magic again. Won the Colombian League for the second time in 2021. This time his team was Dipartivo Cali. Apart from this, he won the highest goal scorer award in the Copa Libertadores held in Paraguay and Uruguay. The year 2022 was the most memorable for him. Real Madrid pulled him into the team as a result of his excellent performances throughout the year. Among them, he played 10 matches for Real, scoring 2 goals and assisting 4 more goals. And this time he got a flying start in the World Cup.
At only 18 years of age, Kaisedo has seen all the ups and downs of life. But the road is very long. There is still much to gain. Which may have started with the World Cup. Let's end this article with the words of Laddy Andrade, the forward of the team, 'Linda (Caicedo) is a phenomenon. He is not our future, but our present.
