June 23, 2015
Lina Granados’ first FIFA Women’s World Cup is in the books.
The Vanderbilt redshirt junior is headed back to the states after Colombia lost 2-0 to the United States on Monday in the round of 16 of the World Cup in Edmonton, Canada. Granados, who was born in Colombia but has dual citizenship along with the U.S., became the first active VU player to represent a country in the World Cup.
Three weeks ago, she was called up to the full 23-player roster just days before the World Cup began. Granados, who has lived in Ashburn, Va., since she was five years old, had played for the Colombian Football Federation since she was 15. Two years, she won a gold medal with the Colombian U-20 team at the Bolivian Games in Peru.
The 21-year-old defender traveled with the team from Moncton to Montreal to Edmonton. Colombia picked up its first Women’s World Cup victory by upsetting third-ranked France. Colombia finished third in Group F behind France and England and advanced to the knockout round for the first time.
“Thank you to everyone that has supported us in this journey and all those who reached out to me!” Granados tweeted on Monday night. “It is not the end… just the beginning.”
