Although the talent is recognized even by critics, the physical issue raises doubts.
James Rodriguez.
Photo: Twitter: @SaoPauloFC
By:
Futbolred Editorial
May 3, 2024, 04:29 p.m. m.
James Rodríguez lives in the sights of critics in Brazil and he, with his explosive combination of undeniable talent and successive physical problems, fuels all kinds of comments. It’s no one’s fault, it’s just the way it is.
And this year in Sao Paulo has been particularly sensitive: it began with a burst of resignation because they did not want to rush his return and he felt healthy; He had to repent and ask for forgiveness and get back in line with Carpini, who when he decided to bet on him no longer regretted it; He had to stop for several days due to muscle discomfort and now that he wants to return, with Zubeldía on the bench, he does not have the prominence he expects.
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Of the team’s 22 games this year, the left-hander only played 8, with a record of one goal and one assist. Everyone is now clear about the chronic problem he has in his calf and what they are trying to do is try to manage loads so as not to saturate him and have him available for as much time as possible. It no longer even seems a question of total healing but of opportunity.
At least that’s how the club seems to see it, which has been understanding the situation of brutal performance that it presents in the Colombian National Team and moderate pace that it proposes in Brazilian territory.
Muricy Ramalho, coordinator of Sao Paulo, spoke with TNT Brazil about the situation: “He is a star, there is no doubt about that. In training you see him do things that almost no one does today: he plays from the side looking at the other, he finds spaces , it’s like Goose,” he said.
The issue is that he suffers a relapse and regaining the level and position among the starters is always going to cost an extra effort. Right now he is trying, with 5 minutes against Palmeiras and normal work to travel to Salvador Bahía and Vitória next Sunday.
“The thing is that football is very intense. The games are truncated, tactical, very intense and in the locker room the players are exhausted. The game is very physical and that does not favor it. He feels it very much and all the coaches demand it. “Football is physical, we know it,” commented the leader on the key issue with the left-hander.
Perhaps a talk with the Colombian National Team coaching staff is in order, a unified work plan, which in the end will benefit everyone. After all, if there is a way to have him at peak performance when he wears yellow, there has to be a secret, which could be related to the care and perhaps pampering he receives when he is with his loved ones. Sao Paulo and the national team are primarily interested in a top reference. Why not join forces?
