In dialogue with ESPN, George Louis Pinto He referred to the complicated current affairs of the Colombian National Team and nothing was saved. He referred to the great failures of the team throughout the Play offthe faults that you have seen Reinaldo Wheel as national coach, pending matters of the Federationthe present of James Rodriguez and the young local talents that for now are led by Yaser Asprilla.
These were his statements:
Selection Problems – There is not a great level of players, with all due respect. There are two or three that are constant, that are regular, but the others are irregular. I speak of irregularity because it cannot be that a team is changing its central markers or midfielders to play away or at home. No. This is because the player suddenly does not respond to the two demands. If he can’t attack, he’s useless; if he doesn’t defend, he doesn’t serve. You have to give them regularity. From the midfield forward, the leader is the technical player, the one who commands, orders and creates tactical game actions: he leaves the striker alone, he makes goal passes. Now do the count of the goal assists we’ve had for creation in the middle… I think we’ve had one or two. We don’t have that game element. Those flyers are missing the Colombian National Team.
Wheel Errors – With all due respect to Reinaldo, game elements have been lacking in creation, attack. I don’t know if the working time he has had is very little. It’s just that since the Copa América he changed players a bit and he hasn’t found stability. Today we ask anyone the title of Pacho Maturana in the World Cup and they know it, today none of us know who is the title of Colombia. There are constant changes because they don’t perform, they don’t have the volume of attack, they just score, anyway. They are unbalanced teams that have affected us in the playing field. We should have that understanding of attack that requires total risk, that the team knows how to defend badly because that is where the teams meet. Let’s risk a little more, would be what I would say to Reinaldo.
The irreplaceable and the talents of the FPC – The competition is marked by the coach, so that the players know that he will rotate when necessary and that he will not be afraid to take the figures. That’s key. On the other hand, Reinaldo should give a little more opening to 4-5 Colombian soccer players who are at a high level to contribute to the National Team. I have been lucky enough to see them play all these months and he feels that there are several who can replace and even take the place of those who are now. (Sergio) Mosquera del Tlima, for example, has to be there; (Felipe) Román, the Millonarios right back is a player who would work a lot because of his power; (Harold) Preciado in the last two games could be used because he was in a great moment.
The decline of James Rodriguez – Creative flyers needed. We came to the conclusion that James, at the moment he is, can play for a while and no more. I say it with all due respect. It is a reality and you have to understand that. A coach cannot play his life for a player for a time. We must begin to exploit and discover the player to replace James. Let’s not think that he’s a good player or whatever, he’s not performing and it’s not something for a game or two, they’re 7-8 like that. We have to send someone else out onto the pitch and see what he does.
How to take Yaser Asprilla? – His future depends on the competitive process they give him. Regarding the teacher (Luis Alberto) Suárez, we must understand that emotional moment and recognize that his statement was not timely. That player is called with the group or the captain. As for Asprilla’s process, if the U23 or U21 National Team were preparing alongside the Seniors, he would be playing soccer with those categories and Rueda could have called him because he was close. It is not the same to have him in youth teams than in Envigado because on the other side he would have acquired more confidence and security so as not to experience such a strong change that he had in the League.
Decisions if I were the highest soccer authority in Colombia – I would appoint the coach of the U20 and U23 to start working because I know that in four years there will not be a volume of players or a structured team. I would take them to Europe to play matches every two or three months, to Brazil for the same thing. Have them compete to see what works and what doesn’t. With that, go taking out for the older one. I think the time has come to start building the team for the next World Cup.
