The Colombian National Team debuted with a victory against Paraguay in the Copa América, in an intense match that was defined with two goals, one from Jefferson Lerma and another from Daniel Muñoz, after two centers from James Rodríguez. Néstor Lorenzo’s team went into the break with an advantage, however, in the second half Paraguay complicated the match and Julio Enciso managed to score, for the final score 2-1.
In the first match of the National Team in the Copa América Several players with experience playing on the national team were on the field, such as James Rodríguez, chosen as the best player of the match, goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, Luis Díaz and Yerry Mina, and Lorenzo also took into account players of a new generation such as Richard Ríos and Jhon Arias.
In the middle of the game and after Lorenzo announced the 26 called up for the continental tournament, many noticed the absence of Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, who was one of the most recurring players in the National Team. We tell you why Cuadrado was not called up for the Copa América.
Why Juan Guillermo Cuadrado was not summoned
The Inter Milan player did not have a good seasonAs he himself indicated on his social networks after not having been called up by Lorenzo, “it was not the expected season, but this profession has these things and we have to assume them with maturity, I am learning to see the good in the midst of difficulty, the Pain is also part of life.”
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Although one of his great goals was to play in the Copa América with the National Team, This changed when at the end of 2023 he suffered an Achilles tendon injury.s, which kept him away from the fields for a few months and from which he could not fully recover, also leaving him out of the call for friendly matches and the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Instead, Lorenzo took into account Luis Díaz, from Liverpool, Luis Sinisterra from Bournemouth and Jhon Arias who had had a good season with Fluminense from Brazilwho earned the starting position in the team and had great performances in the friendlies against Spain, Romania and the United States, games where he scored.
Square Data with Selection
Cuadrado debuted in the Colombian National Team in 2010, when he was called up by Hernán Darío Gómez for a friendly match; Then in 2014 he was included in José Néstor Pékerman’s list to compete in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where Colombia achieved its best participation, reaching the quarterfinals.
A year later, he was once again in Pékerman’s squad to compete in the 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario in 2016.. Three years later he was selected again to represent the country in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, starting all the games the team played.
He participated again in the 2019 Copa América, and 2021 was his last participation in the continental tournament held in Brazil. where the Colombian National Team finished in third place.
In 2021, Cuadrado reached 100 games with the Colombian National Teama mark that was also recently achieved by James Rodríguez, a record that has been achieved by some of the best players the country has ever had such as Carlos ‘El Pibe’ Valderrama, Mario Alberto Yepes, Leonel Álvarez and David Ospina.
