The Columbian Captain lead his nation to the World Cup in a qualifying campaign that conceded only two goals, leaving many experts, Pele included, predicting the Coffee Growers could go deep into the tournament.
But after a shock loss to Romania (3 – 1) in their opening game, tensions at home, which were already bubbling, heightened with many drug dollars believed to be lost gambling on the surprise outcome of the match.
Before their second game of the finals, things were so bad that Columbian manager Francisco Maturana had been warned unless Gabriel ‘Barrabas’ Gómez was removed from the team, the whole squad would be murdered.
Maturana adhered to the warnings, but understandably the team that took on the host nation, USA, in the second match seemed to be carrying a weight on their shoulders, as if paralysed by fear, and in the 22nd minute, Columbian Captain, Andres Escobar (no relation to Pablo) played at an inviting ball in the box, unfortunately poking it past his wrong-footed keeper, leaving his team trailing by one.
The advantage was doubled by the USA shortly into the second half, inflicting a loss that ultimately ended the Tri Colours tournament, and one player's life.
On returning home, Escobar penned an article for the local newspaper. Translated, it read
“Life doesn’t end here. We have to go on. Life cannot end here. No matter how difficult, we must stand back up. We only have two options: either allow anger to paralyse us and the violence continues, or we overcome and try our best to help others. It’s our choice. Let us please maintain respect. My warmest regards to everyone. It’s been a most amazing and rare experience. We’ll see each other again soon because life does not end here”
In the following days, he ignored his friends and Maturana’s advice to lay low, believing he should face the people, opting to head out for a drink while the World Cup continued on over in North America.
After an altercation with a group of men mocking him about his own goal at a local nightspot, Escobar was shot multiple times in the back and died minutes later.
