The players of the Colombian national team before the Copa América.
Photo: EFE – Joe Buglewicz
There were not many times in which Colombia came with favoritism to a tournament of the importance of the Copa América. The ghosts of the past, in particular the painful memory of the 1994 World Cup, left their mark on the team’s fans. Cautious, many prefer prudence; not to get bigger when nothing has been achieved and not to lose focus in the face of undefeats, good streaks and a brilliant present. If in the United States the results are not as expected, many will certainly fall for a process that until now shows very good symptoms.
In the last weeks, The viewer He spoke with several of the national team’s leaders; most of them, bastions of the group that won the title in the 2001 Copa América, the only victory in our history. There is consensus on several points: Colombia is among the favorites to win the Cup, the generational change in the national team has given good tools to Néstor Lorenzo, who, in addition, managed to give cohesion to his idea and has the team playing well. Above all, as Óscar Córdoba, goalkeeper of that champion team in 2001, saidthe Argentine coach managed to hit the right note with a mature group that has the ambition to win titles.
“There are two ways to understand good streaks: it is luck or the product of good work and planning. The maturity of the players we have allows them to understand that the moment that the national team brings is a product of their great performance. They are players with a good presence in Europe in the best competitions in the world. They know, on the one hand, that they cannot give anything away because the competitiveness is high and, on the other hand, that they should not lose their minds because they have a clear objective,” said Córdoba.
Starting from back to front, in goal, Colombia has great strength. Camilo Vargas has been fundamental in maintaining the team’s defensive base. “He is a figure in Mexico and is at an extraordinary level. He is consolidated and a good part of the team’s present is due to his outstanding performance,” says Córdoba. Behind Vargas, David Ospina and Álvaro Montero add experience to the squad and are reliable options in goal.
Mario Alberto Yepes, former defender and captain of the national team for many years, praised the style of play that the coach has established in the team: “with Lorenzo, Colombia has an identity. We played well. It is a team that defends very well and has quick transitions with players on the wings who make the difference. Néstor organized the litter. He brought together young players with experienced ones. It has cost the national team less than other countries in the region to make this generational change. Young people come to contribute immediately and make a difference.”
In defense, according to Yepes, the national team walks calmly with the good options it has in the centre-back duo and especially highlights the names of Jhon Lucumí and Dávinson Sánchez, those with the best presence. However, he points out a relative lack of options on the sides: “We lack alternatives. Johan Mojica has been playing well, as have Daniel Muñoz, Déiver Machado and Santiago Arias. They live a good present, that is undeniable. However, I feel that we do not have as many options as we do with the center backs.”
Carlos Valdés, who is not from the team that was in the 2001 Copa América, but from the one that played in the 2014 World Cup, also highlighted the good work of Néstor Lorenzo in defense. He had him as a technical assistant when the Argentine was second in command after José Néstor Pékerman. “At that time, he was in charge of the defense analyses. He was very meticulous in video analysis and did his job very well. We were constantly improving because he was a very good observer of the mistakes that each one made,” Valdés highlighted.
Fabián Vargas, another from the 2001 class, highlighted the confidence that the coaching staff managed to establish in the players. This security has allowed the team to compete and defeat historically difficult teams, such as Brazil, Germany or Spain. For Vargas, the strength of the group extends to all lines of the field, with enough alternatives to find a replacement in moments of greatest doubt. “The players have once again competed face to face and have beaten rivals they had never beaten before. They have shown that they have the capacity and tools to do it,” said Vargas.
“We regain the respect of the other teams, in South America and in the world. The recent results in Europe, and what has been done in the qualifiers, have made us grow in the eyes of others,” explained the former soccer player.
In the midfield, Colombia has a good balance between experienced players and promising young players. Jefferson Lerma, according to the former soccer player, is the only permanent one. Since then, the team has changed a lot between Kevin Castaño, Matheus Uribe and, now, Richard Ríos. “The midfield, with Lorenzo, has varied a lot, but the idea has never wavered,” explained Fabián Vargas.
Up front there are also multiple options for the coach. James Rodríguez continues to be an important figure and players like Jhon Arias and Luis Díaz provide creativity and dynamism. The guajiro, especially, is the great football leader of the team and in whom resides a good part of the national team’s hopes in the Copa América. The position of 9 is the one that generates the most doubts, but Rafael Santos Borré, Néstor Lorenzo’s chosen one, has always responded to the coach’s trust.
“There is something to choose from and we know that, when there are problems or a game becomes complicated, we have something to turn to,” said Fabián Vargas.
Luis Díaz (left) celebrates a goal for Colombia.
Photo: EFE – Joe Buglewicz
Néstor Lorenzo’s team has a favorable combination of experience, young talent and a coach who has managed to consolidate a competitive group with a clear identity. The streak of undefeated games that he has accumulated, the solidity in goal and defense, along with the depth of the midfield and attack suggest that the tricolor has a real opportunity to win the Copa América. Although the competition is strong, especially with teams like Brazil, Argentina or Uruguay, there is hope with the national team. We have to be cautious, but there is also an illusion that is alive and Colombia wants to win the second title in its history on American soil.
