Colombia midfielder on U.S.: 'They're going to have to fight us'
EDMONTON, Alberta—Until there's a final score in the round of 16 match between the United States and Colombia, rivalry talk will swirl.
Sunday, Colombia midfielder Yoreli Rincon waded into the controversy that has built up leading into Monday night's clash.
"They're clearly taller and more athletic," Rincon said. "But they don't have the heart that we Colombians have."
During the 2012 Olympics, Colombia midfielder Lady Andrade chased Abby Wambach downfield in a group play match and punched her in the face while trying to halt her attack. She was banned for two games and Wambach had a nice shiner on her right eye for the remainder of the tournament.
Earlier this week, Andrade told Paste BN Sports the U.S. "belittles us" and thinks "we're a team they're going to walk all over and it will be an easy game for them." She later said, "We're going to beat them since they like to talk so much."
Rincon was bludgeoned with questions about that moment. She smiled, shook her head and answered them all.
"We're touching upon something that happened three years ago, which is not relevant at this point," she said. "They were playing against a team with no history, just a dream. Women's soccer was just starting in Colombia. We were trying to grow and develop players, gain maturity to be able to perform better. They defeated us 3-0.
"However, they said all sorts of things because one of their players unfortunately got smacked. But that happens in many matches. It always happens—a foul, a player is awarded a card. But what's happened following that episode because of something that happened three years ago, they've said things that have not been taken by us in the best way."
Later, Wambach was asked about the aftermath of her famous black eye and how long it bothered her after London.
"Pain is relative, right," she said. "We won that game and moved on in the tournament and quite honestly, that was the last time I really thought about it. It is part of sports. Things like that happen. I am a person who doesn't focus on things that happen three years ago."
She did tweet a photo of her shiner during the Olympics, however.
"If you are still living in those moments, that's not the way I would want to live a life, so I've moved past it, our team has moved past it," she said.
Rincon doesn't believe any back-and-forth is relevant to Monday's game. The winner will face China in the World Cup quarterfinal on Friday, June 26.
"I have not been reading the news much. It's rumors," she said. "They've said it's a very easy game. They're happy because they have to play with Colombia in this knockout stage. But I really have no interest in what they've said. What I want is to see what happens tomorrow on the pitch. They have high-level performers. We play more at a lower level.
"They're going to have to fight us tomorrow."
Women's World Cup: Best of the Round of 16