The third place in the standings of the South American qualifying round for the 2026 North American World Cup and the 18 undefeated matches of the Colombian National Team, all of which it has had under the command of coach Néstor Lorenzo, as they are the obvious and logical consequence of the list of 28 players called up for the two friendlies prior to the Copa América, against the United States and Bolivia, on June 8 and 15, prior to the Copa América, in which the National Team will debut on the 24th, against Paraguay, in the first date of group D, which also includes Costa Rica and Brazil.
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The list led by Luis Díaz, the crash of English Liverpool, is marked by two facts: first, the arrival of a new player. For the first time in management, Lorenzo called the center forward Miguel Ángel Borja, striker for the Argentine River Plate. His 17 goals so far this year support his arrival, requested by a large sector of critics and fans.
Celebration of Miguel Borja.
Photo:AFP
The second fact is a stick, a surprise: the return to the team of Mateus Uribe, the brand midfielder who has barely played in three games this year, all in this month: 10 minutes and two starts. The ‘major discussion’ is no longer the presence of James Rodríguez, who has not played for São Paulo for a month and a half, or whether they called David Ospina, Yerry Mina, Dávinson Sánchez, Santiago Arias, Johan Mojica, Jefferson Lerma again and Juanfer Quintero, the survivors of the 2018 Russia World Cup…
(Also read: José Néstor Pékerman ‘relives the past’ and bets on the Colombian National Team: ‘He found his way again’)
Colombia’s coach Nestor Lorenzo shouts instructions to his players from the touchline during the international friendly football match between Romania and Colombia at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid on March 26, 2024. (Photo by OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP)
Photo:AFP
Carlos Gómez, Gabriel Fuentes, Gustavo Puerta, Juan Camilo Portilla and Juan David Cabal were excluded from the squad for last March’s friendlies against Spain and Romania. Lorenzo once again took into account, in addition to Uribe, Dávinson Sánchez, Déiver Machado, Jhon Jáder Durán, Sinisterra, Luis Sinisterra, Sebastián Gómez and Yerry Mina.
Two of the 28 will not play in the Copa América. It seems that Gómez’s fate will depend on Uribe’s fitness and health. Maybe the other is a center back (Yerson Mosquera?).
GABRIEL MELUK
SPORTS Editor
@MelukLeCuenta
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