I’m Supporting Colombia Now

Fatalism can be a fan’s best friend. When the United States’ women’s team began this World Cup, I wanted the best to transpire, but my mind kept warning me that the team was destined for the worst. It was painfully evident that the squad wasn’t well-coached and that injuries to crucial players left it unable to surmount bad tactics. From the opening game, I watched the rest of the tournament in search of another nation that I could adopt as my own if the U.S. flamed out.

Spain caught my eye, with its intricate sunk her cleats into the backside of a fallen Nigerian player, Michelle Alozie—and the English team rushed to soft-pedal the offense. But now that the U.S. is out of the World Cup, there’s one nation that every neutral fan of goodwill should fervently support, because of both its electric style and all that its players have struggled to overcome. That team is Colombia.