Colombia date and time vs. Spain, the tough test of the 'Tricolor' facing the Copa América

It is not an official match, but it is as if it were: The Colombian National Team took this Friday's match against Spain very seriously, at the Olympic Stadium in London, the first time that coach Néstor Lorenzo has his base team almost complete, thinking about the main challenges of 2024: the Copa América in the United States and the second third of the qualifying round, with six matches scheduled between September and November.

There will be two friendlies in Europe, this one against Spain, one of the strongest teams on the Old Continent, champion of the League of Nations and a serious candidate to win the Euro Cup (3 p.m., with signal from Caracol and RCN). The other, on Tuesday in Madrid against Romania, a name that awakens nightmares among National Team fans over 35 years of age. But that will be the topic of next week.

“The demand is going to be maximum. We are going to face a team that was world champion, that has been undefeated for many games and with a game that we all recognize, and another that is competing well in Europe. Whenever you measure yourself against the best, it gives you an idea of ​​how things are being done,” Lorenzo said this Thursday at a press conference.

The Argentine did not initially call up any new players on his initial list of 26 players. Then, in one week, four players were dropped due to injury, but of the replacements, there is only one who puts on the National Team's training clothes for the first time, central defender Juan David Cabal.

There are even still seven players who went to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and five who were in Brazil 2014, led by James Rodríguez, who was the subject of questions from the Spanish press who arrived in London to cover the game.

“2014 to 2024, we are far away… He is a player who has matured quickly in his young age, he was a world championship scorer, he has given a lot to the National Team and today he continues to give, I believe that he is ready to give many more to the National Team, it will be measured as we see it, the “The intention is for the team to take advantage of him and take advantage of his talent,” Lorenzo said.

Luis Díaz, in extreme care before the game against Spain

The other key piece for the coach is Luis Díaz, who is in a brilliant moment with Liverpool, but who is at the other end of James: while the São Paulo player has had a hard time finding rhythm, the guajiro is suffering from excess minutes.

“Luis is fine. We have dosed his load because he has just played a game with extra time, he plays a lot of minutes with Liverpool. They ask us to take care of it, we are going to take care of it, we are going to dose it,” Lorenzo insisted.

The reality of the team, today, is the continuity of the base. In fact, with respect to the most recent match of the tie, against Paraguay, Lorenzo would only change two names, and forced to, because they are injured, Yerry Mina and Cristian Borja.

“The particularity of the national team competition is that it competes every four months, they are long spaces. The player's current events change, reality changes from November to March. You have to evaluate what can be improved and give an identity to the team, that is given by the characteristics of each player,” he said.

On the Spanish side, coach Luis de la Fuente looks at his rival with great respect. “Colombia has been undefeated for two years and has a lot of talent. They are a very powerful team and are in a moment of maximum confidence. These types of rivals are going to put us at a demanding level for the Euro Cup,” he declared this Thursday.

Just as the victory in Germany in June last year was a boost for the tie, this Friday's game measures Colombia's strength: it is time to show what they have for the near future.

Jose Orlando Ascencio

Sports Deputy Editor

@josasc

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