The first to report, the most motivated, the one who works the hardest, the one who wants to set an example. That is James Rodríguez on his return to the Colombian National Team, a year later.
The left-hander knows that the team could survive without him, that he was third in a Copa América, the same result that he achieved in 2016 when he showed one of his best versions, and that today he is directly classified for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Yes, Qatar, where he already plays at home. Of course there was life without him. So now what he needs to show is that with him that same life can be better, that his talent can be the key to finding effectiveness in attack that today is one of the few moles of the Reinaldo Rueda era, that his magic was not superfluous. before and will never be left over.
The scenario is as complex as I could hope for: the toughest visit of the entire Qualifier, to Brazil in Sao Paulo, and the peremptory obligation to beat Paraguay in Barranquilla, after the meager draw against Ecuador.
But no matter how optimistic he brings in his suitcase, he knows that against those rivals, the first solid leader of the Qualifying Round and the other scratching points to get at least in playoff quota, there will be a couple of things that his left leg will solve, but others not. We review the problems that the 10 would solve if it is a starter and those that it would generate if its presence becomes, once again, a straitjacket.
The 10th, a solutions factory
1. Connection
James is, strictly speaking, a solution to the flat attack, sung, thick and so many times predictable by the ends with Cuadrado and Díaz by the front with the ineffective centers to both of the point, call it Zapata, Borja, Borré or whatever. His vision of the game is the reason why no one, until now, has been able to replace him (Quintero and Cardona, for example). A pass between the lines that only he sees, a precise ball to a free attacker, a genius. That is what Colombia wins with its number 10 on the court.
2. Compass
The presence of James guarantees that the others will know who to look for when the ball falls (a real mess in the matches of the triple date of October against Ecuador or Uruguay), that they will have the assurance that he will understand well if the best thing is for the sides or looking for inside play, which in the end will rest on someone the enormous pressure that comes from running 90 minutes behind the ball, the scenario that is expected against Brazil, and while thinking.
3. Footprint
The other great solution that James gives is the middle distance. Today, if it is not Square, few are encouraged to collect. With 10 it is known that this option will be an alternative to do damage, for example against very tight defenses like Paraguay’s, provided that he himself and his teammates know how to look for the faults and bring him closer to a privileged position. How many dream of a goal like the one he made with Bayern Munich against Leverkusen? Doesn’t that sound tempting?
4. Respect
There is no surprise: it is not the same to take a Quintero to Sao Paulo or to any of the South American scenarios than to take James. That falls off your weight. Any coach takes extra precautions when he knows that it is James, even if it is this unexpected Qatari version, the one who will command the rival attack, the rival players themselves generate more concern, no one will be surprised that his genius resolves a game and that is why they will take care of themselves twice.
5. Commitment
This may not be the version of Real Madrid 2015 or Bayern 2017, but it is a fact that James did not forget to play football at the very high level that ensured him world fame. He made decisions that have him where he is, but that in the Colombian National Team has a relative weight: today he is the most committed, the one who learned the lesson and knows that he cannot fail, the one who understands, manages and overcomes the pressure that others may weigh. Today the 10th is the singing voice that will go to the field. And it’s the echo that everyone will chase.
What you will not be able to solve … even if you want
1. One less on mark
It is a fact that James, not even in his best years, did the branding task come naturally. That he did it in Madrid and in Bayern, yes. That they demanded it of him in Everton and he couldn’t fulfill it, too. The brand is not his thing and against the fearsome away Brazil, having him from the whistle means losing a man in contention. It’s worth it? The question should be better: when should you use James? If the first half holds up well and in the last 20 or 25 minutes you can ‘get a scare’, isn’t it better to save it?
2. Fluency
As exotic as it may sound, James is the newest in Reinaldo Rueda’s class. He needs to get back in gear after a year of absence because this time, and more against Brazil, it may not be played for him or for his rhythm. When he left the team was using a 4-3-3 module, with it pulled to the right. Today is a 4-4-2 with variations, but with Cuadrado occupying what could have been his place. Rueda’s talent lies in arranging the pieces, but it is clear that he may be the least oiled in the current scheme.
3. And the physical?
The situation is that the most anticipated man for the attack arrives with only 350 minutes on top, a footprint of five months without activity, the shadow of injuries that did not allow him to stand out more in the Premier League and a physical condition that is far from his best version. Will it hold up to the demands of a machine like Brazil? Again, it will be the wisdom of Rueda that decides how and when it is appropriate to use it, demand it and squeeze it for the good of the National Team.
4. Straitjacket
Using James necessarily as a starter, as has happened so many times in the past, can be an uncomfortable and even deadly straitjacket. With him on the court it will be necessary to sacrifice one of those Borré, Zapata, Borja, Muriel or even Roger Martínez who took advantage of their option when they had it and now they would have to sit down and see how someone from a minor league comes to occupy the position, more beyond his name James. That to mention only the attack, because in the middle it could imply not using a three-player barrier to contain Brazil, because it would be necessary to make room for 10. Of course, the group loves him, supports him and missed him. But on the court his presence would imply sacrificing another who probably does it well. It’s worth it?
5. Slowness?
The combination of little competition and doubts about his physical background opens up an imminent risk: Colombia could lose speed in its game, verticality, a doubling of that that Luis Díaz knew how to turn into goals in the last Copa América. If you always have to look for 10, even playing backwards, then instead of solutions new problems will be created. That is why it is good to remember: the one who comes to regain a position is James, it will be his commitment and his sacrifice that drives him and not just his undeniable prestige. That should be understood by everyone, including him.
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