3 aspectos de por qué la Copa América Femenina se realiza en Cali

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We are on the eve of Women's America Cup 2022 and today in Spiwak Hotels We want to talk to you about why Colombia, and in great detail, our beautiful city, was chosen as one of the venues for this emblematic tournament that honors the Women's Football in our continent from July 8 to 30 of this year.

The celebration of this festival soccer in cali It is super special because, after eight editions, our country receives recognition of its position in women's continental soccer, not only after finishing twice as runner-up in the 2010 and 2014 tournaments, but it is also the fulfillment of a dream that various pioneers and Colombian soccer players they bet on it since the 70s for the consolidation of football played by women, especially in our region of Valle del Cauca.

Picture of: Amparo Maldonado

The precursors of Colombian and Cali women's soccer

Like everything in its course, there was a golden age in the Colombian soccer in which while the men's clubs fought their position to play in the big international tournaments; and astronomical contracts were negotiated like that of Manuel Francisco Dos Santos "Garrincha" for what was nothing more than a game; and the Deportivo Cali reached the final of the Copa Libertadores for the first time in 1978; and in the hotels in Cali angry wives waited and dealt punches to the sports commentators lodged because their husbands did not come home after the games; Girls led by passion towards this sport in cali during that decade they volunteered to play a game with their friends from the block regardless of the disapproval that brothers, cousins and even parents made them "because that's for men".

one of those girls was Amparo Maldonado, which today from the management of the women's team at Deportivo Cali is considered by many experts as "the eminence of Women's soccer in Colombia”. This is how he defines it Liliana Zapata, another great dean of national soccer who since she can remember, and even at 53, is playing with a ball and training the new talents of tomorrow in her role as president of the Intimate Forms sports club of Medellín, one of the most robust formations of women soccer players in the country with the accompaniment of its coordinator Luz Estela Zapata and strong rival of all the teams of Valle del Cauca.

“In Bogota they are Patricia Diaz, of the Kapital Soccer FC from Bogota; either Myriam Guerrero that it is no longer active”, Zapata hastened to concede as well, without failing to mention the great Daisy Martinez, for Antioquia: "a lady who was my mentor, my inspiration, my coach for a long time," she says with nostalgic reverence.

But these are not the only ones ahead of their time who, due to their devotion to soccer from a very young age and at a time of great criticism of their sports tastes due to their status as females, promoted this discipline to the point that today we enjoy it as something normal and from the privileged position that Colombia enjoys today in its third place in the statistical table of this championship in the genre.

Ivanova Huertas and Maria Clara Naranjo, respective coordinator and founder of the Carlos Sarmiento Lora School Sports Club in Cali, they also carry the credit of integrating the list of the greatest promoters of soccer in the national territory, with girls from all social spectrums and origins who, once integrated into their academies, graduate as players who are later attracted to the professional leagues of other departments, and even towards international squads.

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Picture of: Margarita Martínez

Picture of: Palmiranas Generations Sports Club

"Also what the club has done Palmyran generations, who has a great job in women's soccer and who must be recognized for their work”. Add the sports journalist Santiago Aristizabal, pointing out the work of men who have also believed and have bet on women in this sport for a long time, such as Philip Taborda, directing this eleventh in Palmyra, neighbor of our Cali.

"Generaciones Palmiranas is a traditional, historic, emblematic team, and the country is also indebted to Mr. Felipe Taborda because they, in the company of others, supported and continue to support Colombian women's soccer over time," Zapata explains from Medellín. , which also includes other men in the theme of forging warriors, such as the technician John Agudelo from Tolima; or the former coach of the Colombian National Team, Ricardo Rozo, with his school in Bogotá; either Peter Ignatius Rodriguez, who with her girls manages to compete and win for the first time for Colombia the title of South American U-17 champions in 2008.

Even businessmen of the stature of Mr. Giuseppe “Peppino” Sangiovanni, former president of Red Eagle Coffee, are not far behind in this credit: “Don Peppino was the one who promoted and who was born with the idea of having a women's team. It was the company and it was his dream. And at that moment Don Peppino must have felt very satisfied because Orsomarso (club based in Palmira) is practically a Red Eagle school. He did not make those efforts in vain." Maldonado awards sportswriter Cuco Roldán, remembering that it was Sangiovanni himself who contributed to the transport of the girls to this seedbed from their homes in the municipality of La Candelaria.

Our female calcium stars in Colombia and Valle del Cauca

In this sense, and without ignoring the contributions of young talents in administrative roles, they lead the rosters of the most robust teams in the nation -such as Marcela Gomez, president of the women's cali america, and Eldy Vanessa Alpidio, manager of the youth academy Deportivo Cali– It should be noted that the capital of our region has been the most relevant substratum in the country (if not the most important) that has allowed the germination of the current great athletes of Colombian soccer.

Beginning with verdugas born in Valle del Cauca itself such as:

Gisela Robledo, midfielder in the UDG Tenerife of Spain for the Spanish Professional Women's League, and international reserve of the Colombian team today guided by our technical director, also from Cali nelson abbey.
Carolina “La Capi” Arias, of the Professional Women's Soccer League in Colombia and defender of Deportivo Cali.
Jessica Caro, midfielder of the Colombia selection and the America of Cali.
Vanessa Cordoba, a native of Cali and goalkeeper of the First Women's Division of Mexico.
Daniela Caracas, international of the Colombian National Team, recruited by RCD Espanyol of the First Division of Spain.
Manuela Pavi, small in height but great midfielder and goalscorer for Deportivo Cali.
Jorelyn Carabali, tenacious gladiator of the verdiblanco.
Paula Medina, caleña very beachy, midfielder and also great pride of Cali.
Maria Morales, midfielder for The Green Menace.

Or imported from other regions that play for our Vallunos teams such as:

Linda Caicedo, forward from Huila and jewel of Deportivo Cali, snatched from America.
Tatiana Ariza, another forward, but from Bogotá and for El Azucarero.
Caroline Pineda, midfielder from Antioquia for our team at América de Cali.
the legendary Sandra Sepulveda, goalkeeper of the Cali Sports Association, professional soccer player from Antioquia, currently at Hapoel Marmorek Racheli in Israel.

Even coming from other countries that find in our Colombian women's teams a place to do school and trajectory, as is the case of joemar guarecuco, Venezuelan forward in América de Cali.

Or examples from other areas of the country that formed or are still part of our national squad with:

Natalia Gaitan, center back and former captain of the Colombian soccer team.
Daniela Montoya, midfielder from Antioquia in the Junior and regular of our team.
leicy santos, Cordoba midfielder of our representation, currently at Atlético de Madrid.
isabella echeverri, midfielder from Antioquia at Sevilla FC.
Lorraine Bedoya, defense of our delegation.
Mayra Ramirez, front of our Colombian women's soccer team at the Sporting Club of Huelva.
Daniela Arias, defender of the national team and well known for her participation in the reality show The challenge, now in the Mexican league.
Lady “Chuchu” Andrade, Bogota striker in the Panamanian Women's Soccer League.
catalina perez, goalkeeper also from Bogotá, now at Real Betis.
Nancy Acosta, defender of Independiente Santa Fé.

Picture of: Colombia Women's National Team

Picture of: America vs Cali

Picture of: Colombia Women's National Team

Picture of: Catalina Usme

And tens of dozens of rising stars in other latitudes, divisions and categories that position Colombia as a mine for the extraction of players like Liana Salazar, Yoreli Rincon, Manuela Vanegas, Katherine Tapia, Stefany Brown, etc… Impossible to do justice to so much talent.

But without a doubt, the supernova of our Colombian women's football, a star who, due to his brilliance, helped bring this Copa América to Colombia: Catalina Usme, striker for América de Cali, historical top scorer in the Copa Libertadores Femenina and in our Colombian team women's soccer

“We have many very representative players. This has even made girls see them as an example to follow; consider the possibility of playing soccer as an alternative life; and start changing the narrative and the way people perceive women who play soccer”, concedes Carolina Jaramillo Seligmann, writer and historian of Colombian women's soccer.

Where to go in Cali to see the Women's Copa América?

If there is something that Aristizábal recognizes, it is the great structure, financing and passion that move both the directives and the various fans of the Valley, in support of their teams, reasons that have made Cali become the headquarters of the National Team women's soccer, with the support of the Government of Valle del Cauca, the Mayor's Office of Cali and other mixed organizations in the region.

For this reason, today it is possible to affirm that to watch soccer in our city, and especially women's, it is enough reserve and/or go to the two great stadiums that our city manages: the Paschal Guerrero and the dry palm, both 30 and 20 minutes from our Hotel Spivak respectively.

In the specific case of the Copa America in Cali The channels and way of acquiring the tickets have not yet been announced, but it is known that the matches will be at Pascual Guerrero, the official arena in Cali for this continental championship.

It has also been announced that the opening game will be held on Friday, July 8 in our city, with Colombia as the top seed against Paraguay and opening the Group A clashes made up of Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia and our country.

Picture of: Carolina Jaramillo

Picture of: Giuseppe Peppino Sangiovanni

Picture of: The country

As for the final, it will no longer be played in Cali but at the Alfonso López de Bucaramanga stadium, a site that will also share the clashes of Group B made up of Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina and Uruguay at the Centenario stadium in Armenia.

In addition to three direct berths (and two playoffs) to the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, for the first time in its history, Conmebol will award $1,500,000 to the team that manages to lift the Copa América Femenina trophy and $500,000 to the team that reaches the vice-championship. The tournament will also award three slots to the 2023 Pan American Games.

So we invite you not to miss this celebration of women's soccer, and if you dare to visit the capital of our department on the occasion of this crusade and you are super sporty and a soccer fan, do not hesitate to check out the website of our hotel with gym in Cali. We are sure that you will love it.

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