The hours passed and the sadness of the elimination of the Colombia selection of the World Cup in Qatar gave way to the guilt and deep reflection of the protagonists.
Many spoke of the main responsibility of coach Reinaldo Rueda, others pointed to a leader that not only will he not shed a single tear but he will be at the World Cup, in luxury hotels, as if there was something to celebrate.
But deep down there is a reality: those who went to the field, who went seven games without scoring and precipitated this sadness that thousands of Colombians still process, need to do their ‘mea culpa’. and the first one has stepped forward -as appropriate- is James RodrÃguez, one of the team’s captains, who is hurt so much by the elimination that he even wonders whether or not he will continue to wear yellow in the future.
“The most beautiful thing that has happened to me in my career as a footballer was attending two World Cups representing the shirt that I love the most, the yellow of my national team. Today I am in deep pain. I consider that our country has talent and players to always be part of the World Cup”, the 10 of the team began by saying.
But watch out for the phrase that would open the exit door or that at least gives the feeling that he no longer feels so indispensable: “I feel sad and not only for myself, but also for my colleagues who deserve to shine and I know they have how. I don’t know if he’s coming for the next trials, I don’t know if he’s here or not. What I do know is that it breaks my soul to lose, it makes me uncomfortable not being classified and this cannot happen again,” he said.
The southpaw’s statement has a lot to do with what he experienced in this cycle of Rueda, who decided to remove him from the Copa América, a blow that went straight to the heart of the player, who reacted badly and publicly criticized him. That sure changes the perspective of his role in the team in the future.
“I want Colombia to go to all the World Cups, for the titles to come in the different competitions and categories. We must plan, join forces and work hard from the administrative and sports side to once again show the world the power and talent of our land”, concluded a hurt James, who must be aware that, in order not to give up the shirt he says he loves, he needs to return to elite football.
Asking for planning is another central point of his statement, especially now that we look at the youth and do not see the necessary replacement to think of a clearer and happier future in the Colombian National Team. Will those who decide understand the message? Probably not. They did ‘classify’ Qatar.
