Glendale (USA), Jun 29 (EFE).- The Colombian national team is a team that works hard and it shows. Coach Néstor Lorenzo revealed that two of the best weapons his team uses are the set piece and aerial play, and he demonstrated this in these two Copa América matches.
Of the five goals that Colombia has scored in Group D, three came in style. With the aerial game and the still ball they defeated Paraguay 2-1 and Costa Rica 3-0.
Since Lorenzo took over the Colombian bench in September 2022, one of the most memorable victories for what it meant was achieved by the Colombian team by air, when they came back and won 2-1 against Brazil in Barranquilla.
In that match, which was played on November 16th last year, Colombia beat the Canarinha for the first time in a South American qualifier with a pair of headers from Luis Díaz, a forward for Liverpool in England.
Now, for the second consecutive match, Colombia scored again with a header in the Copa América 2024 in the United States.
He did it on Friday at State Farm in Glendale with Dávinson Sánchez, at 59 minutes of the game against Costa Rica; and on Monday at NRG in Houston, with goals by Daniel Muñoz and Jefferson Lerma against Paraguay.
Every center that Colombia throws into the rival area is in danger of scoring. In addition, they have one of the best creators and passers in the world, James Rodríguez, who knows exactly where to put the ball.
As Paraguay’s coach, Daniel Garnero, stated after the defeat against the coffee growers: “There are difficult places to defend and James knows it.”
Against the Albirroja, James showed his talent in this aspect. First he assisted Muñoz at the far post, who rose and headed the ball in for 1-0. Then, in a free kick, the Colombian number 10 set up Lerma, who jumped in for 2-0 with another header.
James, by the way, has already provided three assists in this Copa América, according to data from BeSoccer, and is, along with Luis Díaz, the player who has participated in the most goals for Néstor Lorenzo’s Colombia.
Fluminense winger Jhon Arias also helped the Colombian team take advantage of that effective tool of the aerial game, as he did against Costa Rica, when he launched the ball in a corner kick for Sánchez’s header and the partial 2-0 against the Ticos. .
Colombia has played two games in the tournament and the multiple facets of its game are evident.
When he needs to touch the ball, he does; when he needs to change pace, he does; and when he needs to raise his level and make a difference, he responds with high-scoring goals.
Claudia Aguilar Ramirez
(c) EFE Agency
