Never has an Argentine triumph been so soothing to Colombian hearts. Di María’s solitary goal sank Uruguay, it was celebrated in Chile, Peru and Ecuador, already Colombia allowed him (still…!) to go to sleep fifth, still in the qualifying zone. This, despite having scraped a measly 3 points from the last twelve disputed.
Meager harvest, barely survivable, but still clinging to the edge of the cliff with it. Does not fall. The others classify Colombia. Uruguay and Paraguay are worse: they are one of twelve and lost the last three games in a row, they are already in crisis. There is a multiple shipwreck, but those of Rueda fished a boat and, although starving, they live.
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What about Colombia …? It is the question of millions. Tactical drawing is talked about all the time as if 4-1-4-1 or 4-2-3-1 were the equation of human existence, but individual capabilities are not repaired. The players are not table football figures, all the same and faceless, they are living beings and, however brilliant a plan devised by the coach may be, then they must carry it out. And there are missing Cuadrados, Ospinas, Barrios, Díaz … More of those, the undoubted ones. With seven or eight of those, yes, you can beat Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay there … With those, a qualifying round is a pleasure trip and not torture. But there are just four. Taking care of the weight gives to make ends meet scratching. Untill there. Probably if he had Pep Guardiola or Klopp in the bank he could do more with this payroll.
And who knows … Rueda is a gentleman coach, but he does not control Zapata’s mind, on the court Zapata is sovereign in his decisions; if he kicks or heads, it is up to him. He does not tell Tesillo to send a ball anywhere, Tesillo disposes. It is what it is. With what there is, a high first half was made against Brazil. Excellent from the training, from the attitude and from the game. Well everyone, very prominent Cuadrado, Barrios, Mojica, Díaz, interesting Yairo Moreno.
The brilliant Barrios-Lerma-Cuadrado-Díaz maneuver, if it entered, was the Eliminatory goal, a spectacular combination. The goal was missing, of course, it was 0-0, but with a good taste in the mouth. It was Brazil. And beyond. It was enough to get up from the couch, rub your hands together and pour yourself a drink. It came barbarian. But Brazil is Brazil always, it is the only one that demands extreme concentration for 97 minutes and that you play each ball as the last of your life, otherwise …
Otherwise they hunt a loose ball, Marquinhos makes a measured pass to Neymar, this first to Paquetá and on the 17th, also one, sends it to the net. All precision, three knocks from door to door, Brazilian style, and goodbye to my money. Because when Brazil scores you, it’s like a little sign appears that says “Game over”, “Keep participating”. With them you play to score a goal and defend it with blood, putting locks and preparing the shotgun. All life was the same. With Pelé, with Zico, with Ronaldo, with Romario… One always appears and makes you bitter.
It was a first time to frame Colombia’s, enhanced by the fact that Neymar warmed up the party from the start, proposed a guerrilla war and the Colombian boys did not follow him, but they did not avoid it. Insufferable and disrespectful the number 10. A regrettable attitude from someone who is supposed to be a world leader in this sport. You do not get to be number one just by playing ball well, it is accompanied by a host of virtues.
Neymar could be expelled up to three times: for cheating and yelling at the referee in the face, for hitting Cuadrado without the ball from behind, for unsportsmanlike conduct. But the disrespected Mr. Tobar left him on the court and Neymar ended up assisting the winning goal. The tremendous tension involved in facing Brazil –and visiting–, the hostilities proposed by Neymar and fatigue undermined concentration in the second half and the team was already resigning aspirations. He did not return to frequent the Brazilian half of the field and delayed lines.
The changes further blurred the original idea. We did not understand the departure of Mojica, whose temperament elevates him to the category of fixed for what is coming. Neither did Barrios. But Reinaldo knows more than we do, there would be a valid reason. The goal and resignation arrived. It was good, it’s life, it seemed asleep …
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Goals are still missing
It is very difficult to win in football without scoring goals. Colombia has been four days without even one. And the most disturbing thing: it hardly generates situations. It does not provoke them because there is no creative axis three-quarter court forward.
There are no offensive circuits or partnerships or triangulations or complicity of two or three attackers. They are not visible. It is what Luis Díaz gets individually from the left or what Cuadrado manages to put together from the right.
There is also no individual inspiration. And in this the coach has little responsibility, the elements are not there. There are interpreter issues that are not resolved with operation. Such a shortage of ingenuity leads to claiming the presence of James, who can contribute his punch in centers or some happy pass, but James, today, must play everything first: where he stops the ball, they top it up and take it away like a child . Disturbing: there is no creative powerhouse.
Fat or skinny, Colombia needs a Cardona (or Cardona himself), someone who at some point in the game will invent something and open the can. He is brave without a goal. And without a scorer. There is almost no known successful process in football without the presence of a gunner. “The good thing about Colombia is that it has many forwards,” said the Argentine commentator on TV. I hit the TV a few times, I thought the device was failing.
Where are they…? Duván Zapata has been in 10 of the 13 games in this qualifier. He takes a goal, to Venezuela on the initial date, that day that Venezuela arrived on foot, by car… the day they had eleven a while before. “They do not create situations for him,” it is argued. Attentive, now well, sometime the scorer catches a rebound, wins a run, wins a header … Sometimes the individual.
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He had 742 minutes on the field. The first Colombian to appear in the table of gunners of the Eliminatory is tenth: it is Borja with 3, and one penalty. Bolivia, which is in ninth, has the first, Marcelo Martins, with 8. Carlos Bianchi reflected: “Before starting a championship I must know how many goals I can count on. If I don’t have a great scorer who scores thirty, the others should add me. Ten or eleven goals scored by each of the leaders, eight or nine by some of the flyers, a defender who scores five …
Because to be champion you need a certain amount of goals. Without a goal you can’t ”. What are “the others” in Colombia…?
And Teo Gutiérrez…? He’s great, yes, but he can help, he’s lively, he’s classy, he knows how to score and make plays. Reinaldo’s 9 is Falcao (“Falca, I want him to come even if he’s on crutches,” the DT tells him by phone). Sadly, Radamel is haunted by injuries. Hopefully it’s for the last four dates.
The most beautiful thing about this Colombia is its location in the table: fifth. Not bad for what it has. Rueda is an architect who was called in with the building in the middle and with serious construction defects. Not counting the personnel problems.
Overrated capabilities
“He boasts some good players in and around Italy and sets himself ambitious goals. Then he does not specify them and the bad mood becomes “.
Colombia national team, Colombia soccer is an exciting topic. It is a medium with high aspirations, which legitimately claims to be the third in South America by size and potential of the country, for being such a football fan.
It claims to be only behind Brazil and Argentina; he boasts some good players in and around Italy and sets himself ambitious goals. Then he does not specify them and the bad mood becomes. There is an overestimation of their own abilities and an underestimation of those of the neighbors.
There is the Gordian knot: a quality leap is missing.
But it can. A benign fixture remains. Rivals lurk and Chile and Peru grew. Chile added 9 points in a row, yes, but six against Paraguay, the eighth, and three against Venezuela, the bottom. Now it’s hell for him: Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia at high altitude, Brazil and Uruguay. There I want to see you …
On Tuesday, versus Paraguay, the excuses were over. It’s win or sink. The best thing will be to copy that first half with Brazil. And extend it to the entire party.
Last tango …
Jorge Barraza
For the time
In Twitter: @JorgeBarrazaOk
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