Colombia star Daniela Caracas has labelled Vera Pauw's Ireland side as 'little girls'.
She also declared 'let them eat shit' after a contentious World Cup warm-up match that left Denise O'Sullivan in hospital.
The game, billed as a friendly and played behind closed doors, was called off after only 23 minutes after some rough tackles flew about and both sides were embroiled in slanging matches. The most serious incident arrived midway through the first half as Ireland playmaker Denise O'Sullivan suffered a bad tackle, which eventually led to her being taken to the hospital for a scan.
Following the abandoned game, Caracas went outside the stadium to sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans. In the fan footage, Caracas interacts with a Colombia supporter who asked why the game ended so early.
She replied:
"They are little girls. There was a tackle and they started to complain. They said they were going to see if the wanted to continue playing or not, so our coach [Nelson Abadía] said we are not going to wait for them to decide."
When the fan agreed that it was the right decision, Daniela Caracas
then reportedly proclaimed, "Let them eat shit."
https://twitter.com/nuestrosdporte2/status/1679887791746953224
Colombia statement after Denise O'Sullivan's injury
In a statement, the Colombian football federation stated that Ireland '
preferred not to continue playing when 23 minutes of the first half had already elapsed', following Denise O'Sullivan's injury.
The statement added that the team is competitive but respects the ethos of fair play and that the federation respects the decision made by Ireland not to continue.
Ireland play their first match at the World Cup next Tuesday, when they face co-hosts Australia in Sydney.
Ireland has been drawn in Group B, alongside Australia, Nigeria, and Canada. Colombia, meanwhile, is in Group H alongside Germany, Morrocco, and South Korea.
