The Colombian National Team thrashed Guatemala 4-1, in the first friendly match of coach Néstor Lorenzo as coach. The coffee team showed experienced players in the first half, to give entry to the new generation in the second half.
Among the referents who played, and was the protagonist, was James Rodríguez. The ’10’ he scored the first goal of the match and played 63 minutes of the match. His performance was not the best, but he surprised Néstor Lorenzo by trying to be dynamic and influential in the game.
However, for Carlos Antonio Vélez the role of James was normal. His goal did not ‘move the needle’, and he feels that Rodríguez “has already been” in the National Team.
Vélez made some comments about James on the Win Sports program ‘Planeta Fútbol’.
“He scored a goal with his hand, he lowered it with his hand, but there was no VAR… And after the illegal goal he ended up fighting with the stands. That doesn’t ‘move the needle’. There are better than James in the National Team and we saw it at the end of the game. I think James has already gone.”
For Vélez, James’ goal is not enough to earn his place in Lorenzo’s process in the National Team. “The fact that Guatemala has won the position by a goal, after 6 months inactive, is to condemn the future and be aware of the past.”
In fact, he asked for an end to his stay in the Tricolor: “Why don’t we wean ourselves off that. What have we won with James, how many titles?
Although he justified Néstor Lorenzo for having summoned Rodríguez: “I understand Lorenzo, who says: ‘This [James] and his friends took out 2 technicians and suddenly they took me out’”.
