In the final of the 2024 Copa América, Argentina emerged victorious with a goal from Lautaro Martínez in the final minutes that was a key piece of the victory. The Colombian National Team was runner-up in this tournament where it managed to stand out with an undefeated record.
It was not easy for the Tricolor to get to that point against a team that had just won a World Cup and that had Lionel Messi in play (who later got injured) and one of the most impressive goalkeepers on the planet, Emiliano (Dibu) Martínez.
Coach Néstor Lorenzo said in a press conference that Colombia’s effort was maximum, as everyone asked for a change, since they could not cope with the fatigue, due to the fact that they were coming from an intense match against the Uruguayan national team.
“It is not easy to play a final for everyone, the boys felt the effort of the whole tournament, they played 6 games in 21 days and I clarify, all the players who were substituted, all of them, came out with cramps, some in both legs, but they all asked to be changed,” said the Argentine coach.
Lorenzo also spoke about Argentina’s progress, which has been winning titles for a long time: “Of the two finalists, there is one that is marking an era and it is not a coincidence. It is marking an era and before this era, it lost two Copa America finals and a World Cup final,” said Lorenzo in a press conference at the Hard Rock Stadium.
“While Argentina is in a spectacular process, which is no longer a streak but an era, we are just starting. Hopefully we will play the final again next year and qualify for the World Cup,” he added.
He also referred to the time that the Colombians had to play the final, since they had fewer days of rest compared to the other team. The scorching weather (intense heat) complicated everything in the final.
“We only started four days later than the Argentine national team and we played the same matches in four fewer days. In addition, we had to go west to the warmer area. The weather and all those trips were part of the exhaustion,” Lorenzo added.
“I think we had a very good plan, but then some unusual situations started to occur. (The players) warmed up, cooled down, warmed up again, the issue of the start (delayed 1 hour and 20 minutes due to incidents when the fans entered), 25 minutes of half-time, strange things for both teams,” he said.
“I said that this would have an impact on the physicality and generally the tension is felt more by those with less experience in finals, and it took its toll on us,” said the Colombian coach.
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The teacher is proud of his team for their work during this competition and hopes to see them stronger in the next edition.
2024-07-15 12:07:07
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