Romania, a name that awakens nightmares in the Colombian National Team: this is how it is today

ANDhe name of Romania revives the nightmares of fans of the Colombian National Team over 35 years of age. Twice he appeared on the road in the World Cups and twice he dealt blows from which the team could not get up.

After a friendly in 2006 in which the two teams wiped away their tears for being left out of that year's World Cup, these two teams had not crossed paths again. They will do it this Tuesday, at the Civitas Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, in the second friendly of the year for the team led by Néstor Lorenzo.

There was some arrogance on the part of the Colombians in the first duel against the Romanians, on June 18, 1994, in Los Angeles. The team led by Francisco Maturana had just qualified for the World Cup by beating Argentina 5-0.

A long and exhausting preparation process, with only one defeat along the way, set the ball rolling that Colombia could be world champions.

On this side of the Atlantic Ocean they looked down on Romania, despite the fact that in Italy 1990, like Colombia, they reached the round of 16, and also made Argentina suffer with a one-goal draw that almost took them out of the World Cup to the team led by Carlos Bilardo.

The lesson was paid dearly: the Europeans, Led by the 'Maradona of the Carpathians', Gheorghe Hagi, they suddenly lowered the world title globe with a resounding 3-1.

Four years later, Romania and Colombia met again in the World Cup. This time there was more respect and better preparation, but also a more worn-out team, which ended up losing 1-0 on June 15, 1998, and with that compromised its future.

France 1998 meant the end of the cycle for both teams. It took Colombia 16 years to return to a World Cup. Romania has not qualified since then and has only gone to three European Championships (2000, 2008 and 2016). In the last two they did not go beyond the group stage.

The heirs of a brilliant generation in Romania

There are illustrious surnames in the current Romanian team. The coach is Edward Iordanescu, 45 years old, son of Angel, the coach of the team that beat Colombia in the two World Cups in the 90s!

The young Iordanescu took charge of his country's national team
in January 2022 and under his command Romania returned to the map. He achieved qualification for Euro 2024, which will be played simultaneously with the Copa América, in Germany, after finishing first and undefeated in group I, with 14 points, ahead of Switzerland, Israel, Belarus, Kosovo and Andorra.

Iordanescu assumed the role of renewing the team and today only has four players over 30 years old, led by goalkeeper Florin Nita, who plays for Gaziantep in Turkey and is 36.

There are not many well-known names on the Romanian roster: Horatiu Moldovan, substitute goalkeeper for Atlético de Madrid; Radu Dragusin, Tottenham's defender, but with little continuity, and Andrei Ratiu, Radamel Falcao García's teammate at Rayo Vallecano, are perhaps the most renowned.

And in today's Romania, of course, there is another surname that brings back bad memories: ask Óscar Córdoba. A son of Gheorghe Hagi, Ianis, is in the squad. But they do know this one: he played with Carlos Cuesta and Jhon Lucumí at Genk and with Alfredo Morelos at Rangers. Today he is at Alavés.

Romania also has an important undefeated record: 12 games. They have not fallen since a friendly against Slovenia, on November 17, 2022. Let's not fall into the mistake of underestimating them again.

Jose Orlando Ascencio

Sports Deputy Editor

@josasc

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