August 03, (THEWILL) — Brazil claimed their ninth Women’s Copa América title after a thrilling 5-4 penalty shootout win against Colombia following a 4-4 draw in Quito early on Sunday morning.
The match, held at Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, saw Colombia take the lead three times, only for Brazil to equalise on each occasion.
Veteran forward Marta played a pivotal role, scoring twice in extra time to force penalties, where Brazil’s composure proved decisive.
Colombia opened the scoring in the 25th minute through Linda Caicedo, who finished a well-worked team move.
Brazil levelled just before half-time via an Angelina penalty, awarded after a VAR review. Colombia regained the lead in the 69th minute after a defensive mix-up led to an own goal, but Amanda
Gutierres equalised with her sixth tournament goal. Mayra Ramirez’s 82nd-minute strike put Colombia ahead again, only for Marta to force extra time with a stoppage-time equaliser.
Marta struck again in the 105th minute, tapping in Angelina’s cross, but Colombia’s Leicy Santos curled in a superb free-kick in the 115th minute to send the match to penalties.
The shootout saw Colombia falter after Manuela Pavi’s miss and goalkeeper Lorena’s save from Santos. Marta missed the chance to win it, but Jorelyn Carabali’s subsequent failure handed Brazil the title.
Brazil’s Amanda Gutierres praised her team’s resilience, stating: “This means a lot. It’s that mentality of never giving up.”
Colombia, despite the defeat, showed its growing strength in women’s football, pushing the defending champions to the limit in a match filled with twists.
The victory extends Brazil’s dominance in the competition, while Colombia’s spirited performance signals their emergence as a rising force.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
