Colo Colo Femenino Sub 16 Falls to U and is Eliminated from the Championship
Colo Colo Femenino Sub 16 faced off against U in the Monumental stadium but failed to secure a victory. After the impressive win of Colo Colo Femenino Sub 19 against Universidad de Chile, earning a spot in the youth final, the Sub 16 Albas took on the same rival. The colocolinas were aiming to reach another final on the synthetic field and defend the title they clinched last year. With Catalina Muñoz in the starting lineup, Pedrero’s team fought against the university students for a chance in the final, where Universidad Católica awaited.
The match kicked off with Lia Peña in goal; Dominique Lamber, Katerine Fernández, Isidora Cavieres, and Isabel Cabrera in defense; Geraldine Mardones, Heysiu Alfaro, Constanza González in midfield; Antonia Jofre, Catalina Muñoz, and Martina Becerra in the attack.
The first half of the game was evenly matched, with few clear chances on goal showing a completely balanced duel. It seemed like the team making fewer errors would come out victorious at the Estadio Monumental. The clash between Albas and Azules started uphill for the Eternas Campeonas.
At the 23rd minute, the Laicas capitalized on an error by Lia Peña, allowing the forward Montenegro to face the goal. The university attacker wasted no time and put the visitors ahead to score the opening goal. As time passed, the Macul team took control of the ball and tried to threaten the opponent’s goal. It was at the 41st minute when things leveled up. Geraldine Mardones unleashed a powerful left-footed shot, leaving the university goalkeeper helpless. Thus, both squads headed into halftime with a 1-1 draw on the scoreboard.
A tightly contested second half and the elimination of Colo Colo Femenino Sub 16
The match remained closely fought in the second half, with both teams unable to break the deadlock. However, the standout player of the day was undoubtedly Geraldine Mardones. The midfielder made a brilliant individual play, passing to the center where she found Antonella Parada. The colocolino attacker wasted no time and, with a quick turn, fired from outside the box to make it 2-1 at 57 minutes.
The lead didn’t last long as three minutes later, the university team took advantage of a corner kick. Following a cross into the six-yard box, Kiara Concha headed the ball to equalize at the Monumental. With the score level, both sides sought to gain an advantage to avoid penalties at the end of the match.
With 10 minutes remaining, and after defensive errors in the colocolina defense, Concha received the ball and beat Peña with a well-placed shot to make it 2-3 in favor of the blues. Following the Laico goal, the Albas desperately searched for the equalizer but were unable to find it.