Colombia is looking to qualify early for the quarterfinals of the Copa America. This Friday, Néstor Lorenzo’s team will face Costa Rica and If he wins, he will secure his place in the next round of the tournament.even if one matchday of the group stage is still to be played. Jhon Lucumí, out due to injury, will be the main absentee in the Tricolor lineup.
A few hours before the match, Jorge Luis Pinto, experienced Colombian coach who led the Costa Rican team, spoke on 6AM Today by Caracol Radio about what the confrontation will be at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona and highlighted the power of Colombia’s roster. The Santander coach also valued the performance in attack.
“Colombia’s generation for this Copa América is brilliant, from midfield to forward it is extraordinary. I have always been afraid of this defense, both in open space and when we are deep, but our football from ¾ forward is extraordinary,” said Pinto.
Jorge Luis was coach of Costa Rica between 2011 and 2014, and led that team to its best participation in a World Cup (quarterfinals in the World Cup in Brazil). In the interview, the Colombian recalled that experience and noted: “It is a country with good football, it is clearly a football fan. Quite a few players come out… It is a team that is not easy and has good touch on the ball.”
How does Costa Rica play?
Finally, Pinto analyzed the game of the Central American team and He stated that, for Colombia, patience will be fundamental in the matchtaking into account the defensive order of the rival. It is worth remembering that Costa Rica is coming off a 0-0 draw against Brazil in its debut in the Copa América.
“I have never seen Costa Rica like this, so deep in the box with a 5-4-1 defined to the maximum. If they do, it will not be easy to penetrate that block… The most important thing is to stay calm, not to get desperate so as not to lose the ball and generate the counterattack. We have to speed up the game, passing the ball before Costa Rica groups together, and thereby find spaces,” he said.
“(Costa Rica) is going to try to eliminate the three men it knows, which are (Luis) Díaz, James and surely some other skilled… It’s time to open the field and have numerical superiority. “One of the best things Colombia has is the improvisation of the three en pointe,” Pinto concluded.
The match between Colombia and Costa Rica, valid for the second date of Group D of the Copa América, will be played this Friday, June 28, starting at 5:00 pm, at State Farm Stadium. Later they will play Brazil vs. Paraguay in Paradise, Nevada.
Follow the Diario AS channel on WhatsAppwhere you will find all the sport in a single space: the current news of the day, the agenda with the latest news of the most important sporting events, the most outstanding images, the opinion of the best AS brands, reports, videos, and some humor from time to time.
