They say sequels are never good. However, the Colombian National Team led by Néstor Lorenzo is -and has been- a team of second times. The 2-2 this Friday in the visit to South Korea reconfirms that trend.
(You may be interested: Colombia suffers, reacts and rescues a draw in a friendly against Korea)
The first act of this play in Korean theater was quite a drama for Colombia, which was surpassed in speed, intensity, pressure and efficiency by the local. The Colombian cast was made up of only characters with villain roles: the two brand midfielders (Castaño and Uribe) didn’t hit and go much, the two central defenders (Cuesta and Lucumí) hardly rejected, the two full-backs (Muñoz and Mojica) were embarrassed to a large extent because the two wingers (Valoyes and Carrascal), since they did not know their defensive lines to count the double security line: they did not give foot with ball.
and James? He was hardly an extra volunteer. And I deleted? He again he played the Phantom of the Opera.
The drama turned into a tragedy with the goals of Sonthe Korean megacrac, who shot into the empty net due to a rude mistake by Mojica in a short pass trying to get out of the pressure just starting the game (minute 10), and then recited a free kick poem with a delicate curve that fell like a curtain heavy at the base of the keeper’s stick just before the break.
For the second act, the Colombian actors took off their crying mask and put on the mask of laughter, joy and the happy ending: with the same players, located in the same positions on the same tactical plan, the play of the National Team it was already another and, in a blink between minutes 46 and 49, James and Carrascal tied in a burst of speed, attitude, pressure and effectiveness.
(Also read: Colombia team suffered with Korea: this is how they played one by one)
Then, once again, as had already happened in other works such as against Mexico or Guatemala, for example, the villains ended up as leading men, they abandoned their supporting roles to become protagonists who took advantage of the exact moment of reaction to rewrite history. The team ran, stopped being slow, opened their eyes on the mark, became more closed between defenders and midfielders, and was more practical in avoiding the Korean pressure: now they were serving the long ball…
This Colombia directed and written by Néstor Lorenzo is a team that recites sadness in the first parts and sings odes in the second. It was once believed that it was because the old performers came up and then became relevant because of a young cast. Again because the tacit script from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 was redone. One more because there was a new motivation script…
(Also read; Who is Kevin Castaño, surprising figure of Colombia against Korea?)
The reality is that, in general terms, this Colombia of Lorenzo starts the games trying to secure the ball slowly, keep trying defensive orders, worried about not taking risks, pretending to guarantee their safety. And then, when the play gives rise to boos and tomato throwing, she reacts, advances, assumes the offensive individual duels and ends up applauded while flowers are thrown at her.
In this new undefeated era of five preparation games for Lorenzo’s team (three wins, two draws), Colombia has scored nine of its 11 goals in the second half (81.8 percent!), when the team reacts, when he charges like a bull after the punch, when he warms up and has a game attitude, when he changes his attitude to go for the game, when the coach at half-time harangues and corrects ways and manners.
Colombia lives first acts with the mask of the crying of the drama. Colombia transforms the parties with the mask of laughter in the seconds. Lorenzo’s work will be a masterpiece when he manages to maintain a continuity of play, intensity and attitude in the theater of football
To be or not to be… That is the dilemma of the Colombian National Team.
Meluk tells him
GABRIEL MELUK
sports writer
@Meluklecuenta
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