Two bottles of Antioquia liquor were practically empty on the table where several Colombians and their friends celebrated in style the 1-0 victory of the Colombian National Team over Ghana, where they advanced to the round of 16 of the World Cup, an event where they will measure strength against Switzerland.

Laura Mena, a girl from Medellín, a recent graduate in neuroscience at UCLA, was the one who came up with the way to celebrate.

“Let's go Colombia!” “Let's go Colombia!” she and her friends Camila Restrepo, Paula Hernández and Santiago Bustamante never tired of encouraging.

Put your body into it without fear! Hit it hard!”, expressed an outraged Edgar Leonardo Cruz, a fan from Bogotá who lives in South Gate, and who merged into a strong hug with Sebastián García, after Jhon Arias' solitary score.

"Let everyone sing to you, Let everyone pamper you, I'm jealous for you to look at. I'm not leaving anymore, not even for thousands," was heard by Grupo Niche's "Cali Pachanguero," at halftime of the game against Ghana.

The flavor and rhythm of the salsa instinctively invited two couples to come up on stage to demonstrate their best steps: Martha and her husband Carlos Riveros, as well as Beatriz and Alberto De Arco.

The latter, born in Bogotá and executive director of a escrow company, not only referred to the coffee triumph as an opportunity for the Colombian diaspora to unite in the United States, but also to work so that hope for a better nation is reborn.

“The left of President Gustavo Petro and his entire clique did a lot of damage to Colombia,” he told La Opinión. “It has been a disastrous government, which has lost international representation and has a bad relationship with its neighbors.”

“We played very well, although up front we have to define with greater certainty,” said Javier Herrera, 72, a Colombian from El Quindío, who arrived from Florida to visit his daughter in Los Angeles. "I was nervous, but I also had moments of calm. We needed a second goal quickly that didn't come."

“He has given us joy”

“Fruta Fresca,” the famous song by vallenato performer Carlos Vives, was heard in the air.

“Yes, yes, yes, this love is so deep, that you are my consent, that the whole world knows it.”

In the Colombian context, the word Guararé became popular thanks to the song “Festival en Guararé”, popularized by artists such as Alfredo Gutiérrez and Los Corraleros de Majagual. It is used to refer to a great party,

Frank Rodríguez, manager of La Casita con Sabor Colombiano, said he was proud of the coffee team, in its desire to project itself as a candidate for great heights in the Soccer World Cup.

“The Tricolor has given us effort, joy and dedication to be a worthy representative,” said the fan originally from Cali.

At the property at 837 S Union Avenue in Los Angeles, Rodríguez and the owners limited the entry of Colombian fans to 130, for security reasons.

However, what was not missing in the place was the famous tray paisa, the most representative dish of Colombian culinary art, in addition to sancocho, pandebono, churrasco, buñuelos and sweets to satisfy the palate and nostalgia of the attendees.

For his part, Sebastián García, 25 years old, born in Valle del Cauca, in Cali, highlighted that the team led by Argentine Néstor Gabriel Lorenzo has consolidated experience and youth with James Rodríguez and the arrival of essential elements such as defender Daniel Muñoz, midfielders Jefferson Lerma, Gustavo Puerta, Juan Fernando Quintero and the star Luis “Lucho” Díaz.

“A change has been noticed in the national team, in the sense of mentality to win, strength and determination,” he said.

The pride and accent of the Colombian diaspora

More than 50,000 Colombians reside in the city of Los Angeles and its metropolitan area - particularly in the Hollywood area. This community is part of a larger Latino population, which represents approximately 48.6% of Los Angeles County. At the national level, Colombian migration to the United States exceeds 1.6 million people.

An immigrant to the United States since 1972, Betty Valdez, 79, born in Palmira, the agricultural valley of her country, expressed that the Colombian diaspora is a tireless worker.

"I thank God that he gave me and my husband the opportunity to move forward; we both had the strength and energy to give our three daughters a career, although I always remember that Colombia is a paradise...a branch of heaven."

Yulieth Pérez, originally from César, one of the 32 departments that make up the Republic of Colombia, located in the northeast of the country, in the Andean and Caribbean regions, considered that, wherever they go, Colombians are resilient people.

“We are like the lotus flower, valued for our beauty, because we are braracos [brave, talented, bold or ingenious] and driven forward,” added the domestic worker, while wearing a Colombian national team shirt, in the street business of David Rincón from Bogotá.

Daniel Castaño and his wife Eimy Ramírez arrived at the Colombian restaurant three hours before the game, along with their children, Juan Sebastián, nine years old, and Sara, six years old.

“Being Colombian is pride, strength, coffee, diversity, flavors, food, beautiful women and passion for soccer,” said Daniel. "Many recognize us for our peculiar accent and because we speak the best Spanish in Latin America. It is a beautiful, Berraco accent."

And to close the night with a flourish, dozens of Colombians waved flags and sounded trumpets on the corner of James Wood Blvd. and Union Street.

“We're doing well.” summarized John Ávila, from Manizales.

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