The Colombian National Team celebrates. He doesn’t just celebrate the 2-1 victory against Paraguay in his debut in the Copa América. Celebrate much more. Celebrate that you have James and James is the certainty of magic and precision. Celebrate that you have a team that flirts with victory. Celebrate that you have the ability of Lucho Díaz and Jhon Arias. Celebrate that it is an increasingly solid team. Celebrate that you have a goal, that you have order. Celebrate the football of Richard Ríos. Celebrate that the team wins and excites. And how can you not get excited?
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In their debut, Colombia never got confident, neither before the game nor before starting to win. He knew that games are not won in the press or on the radio, not before, you had to play and you had to be patient, not despair, advance little by little, that was his strategy, let Paraguay get excited, believe that could do damage, even letting them kick a free kick that Camilo Vargas saved, all of that so that they would get excited and open their wall without realizing it.
Colombia was not the offensive whirlwind that the entire yellow stadium expected at the start, they had barely had a good shot from Richard Ríos, but they were a reliable, calculating team, one of those teams that trust so much in their talent and their strategy that they await the moment. just enough to launch the lethal thrust. Paraguay did not realize that, Paraguay thought that with its daring and its strength Colombia was confused. Paraguay believed that since Colombia lost defender Jhon Lucumí to injury it would be fragile. Paraguay thought that with the story of its air power, it was not going to take risks. What a lie.
The genius of James Rodríguez
When the ball reached James’ feet, the fans stood up, because James had not yet appeared, he remained absent, as if studying the game, from afar, watching how Paraguay was confident. And since James didn’t appear, no one marked him. But the fans believe in him and that’s why they sensed that some trick was coming.
James received the pass in the left zone, with exaggerated freedom, and then he made a slight movement of his legs, a hitch with complete tranquility, not even running, barely walking, like the one who prefers to think, he raised his chin, with his gaze upright. crash and saw the entire panorama in the area, he identified in a fraction of seconds what battles were being fought there, he saw the friction, the marks, he realized that Lucho Díaz was being held, then he launched his center, a caress, his left foot with a white glove, the ball rose and fell perfectly, but it did not go to Díaz, who was hindered, it went to a ghost that appeared behind and that only James had seen, Daniel Muñoz, who received the pass and hit an accurate header, to the floor, just as it hurts goalkeepers the most, just as if it were a seasoned striker.
Jefferson Lerma celebrates after scoring a goal against Paraguay.
Photo: AFP
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Muñoz was a ghost for Paraguay, no one saw him arrive, and that was 1-0 in 32 minutes. Then yes, the yellow stain on the enormous stands of the stadium shook and the Paraguayans, who had fought and ran a lot, must have felt something similar to terror.
Colombia had the reward for its patience. What came next in his strategy was to secure the score. And he didn’t delay. There was a foul on the other side, the right side. Who gets paid? They weren’t asking in Colombia, who know it by heart, but rather the Paraguayans who didn’t want James to pick up the ball again. And it was James who, like a nightmare, charged them with a phenomenal cross. James looked at the area again, he saw it populated, like a great city in which a tower called Jéfferson Lerma stood out, who rose above the 21 men fighting on the ground and put his header, and the ball inside again, 2-0, 42 minutes, and Paraguay couldn’t believe it, the kings of the still ball and the aerial game were already losing with two headed goals.
Paraguay reacted
Paraguay came out of the locker room for the second half with apparent new fury, they wanted to push and go for the discount based on strength, courage, friction, but very quickly they found themselves subdued again by a calm Colombia. Richard Rios hid the ball from his rivals as if it really were a game. Lerma showed them his teeth every time they approached his area. Arias started playing and playing. Vargas jumped in and stopped a dangerous shot. James threatened with every pass and every dead ball. Luis Díaz missed two shots, he preferred to save his air, his strength and his precision for the following battles.
Colombia vs. Paraguay
Photo: Colombian Football Federation Press
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The match, in any case, was not perfect. It is the first in the competition. And the rival was so determined that he ended up finding the discount. A center that did not seem to carry any danger, but the ball was left to Dávinson, behind him was not Mojica’s backup but the Paraguayan Enciso who finished and deceived Vargas, it was 2-1, there were 69 minutes.
There was time left, but not that much, there was time left, but Colombia was not going to push their luck, they claimed a penalty that was not sanctioned against Mina, so they waited for the clock to fulfill its destiny as a clock, until the whistle blew and the players They celebrated a triumphant, hopeful debut, a debut that excites a little more.
PABLO ROMERO
Editor of EL TIEMPO
@PabloRomeroET
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2024-06-24 23:48:45
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