With Perez away, the Yanks did play
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP: U.S. advances, scoring twice after Colombia’s starting keeper sent off
EDMONTON — Catalina Perez was having the game of a lifetime against the United States at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup before her night was cut short.
The Colombian goalkeeper was keeping her team in the contest, but when she was sent off early in the second half, it was the turning point in a 2-0 victory for the U.S. before 19,412 fans at Commonwealth Stadium Monday.
Perez was showed a red card for tripping American striker Alex Morgan at the top of the penalty area in the 47th minute.
“I was in shock, I’ve never gotten a red card before,” Perez said.
“I didn’t even know where to go or what to do after. I didn’t have bad intentions at all and I didn’t think it was worthy of a red card.”
Perez was replaced by Stefany Castano, who gave up a goal on the first shot she faced in open play after Abby Wambach missed the penalty kick.
Morgan scored on a shot from a bad angle in the 53rd minute on Castano, Colombia’s third-string goaltender, to give the Americans the lead. Carli Lloyd then scored on a second penalty awarded to U.S. in the 66th minute.
“She (Perez) was good, we were expecting the other keeper (Castano), who played in the first game,” American head coach Jill Ellis said.
“But she made some tremendous saves.”
Perez, who grew up in the U.S. and attends the University of Miami, started because first-string goalkeeper Sandra Sepulveda was suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the group stage.
Perez made a number of great saves to keep the game scoreless in the first half. The first came in the fourth minute off a shot by midfielder Tobin Heath from the top of the box.
Perez was at full stretch to get a hand on the shot, which was then put in the net by Wambach. The goal was called back because Wambach was offside on the original shot.
“For me, Catalina is a goalkeeper with a lot of potential; she is very young,” Colombian head coach Fabian Taborda said.
“She looked very good in practice in the last couple of days. We thought this would be a good game for her and we were very happy with the way she played.”
Perez made another big stop 15 minutes into the game, getting a hand up to bat Wambach’s half volley away from the top of the box.
“She made an incredible save on my left-footed shot early in the game,” Wambach said.
“She’s really off her line and if she’s not off her line, it probably goes into the goal.”
Perez denied the Americans again in the 27th minute when she tipped Morgan’s header over the crossbar.
Colombia had its moments in the first half as well.
Midfielder Lady Andrade had a claim for a penalty when she danced around two American defenders along the goal-line and was tripped cutting to the net. Her appeals, however, were ignored.
Early in the second half, Morgan was sent in alone and was tripped by Perez trying to go around the goalkeeper. French referee Stephanie Frappart did not hesitate in awarding the U.S. a penalty and sending Perez off.
“I thought we gave the best team in the world some troubling moments,” Taborda said. “But I thought having our first-string goaltender suspended, then having our other goaltender sent off and being forced to play with 10 players was just too much to overcome.”
With the win the United States moves on to face China in a quarter-final Friday in Ottawa.