Colombia, with all its strength! The goal: to beat Panama and reach the semi-finals of the Copa America

In football, as in life, there is no small enemy. And that is why, The Colombian national team is taking Saturday’s match with absolute seriousness, in which it will seek to advance to the semifinals of the Copa América. She is confident in what she has. She will return to hot Glendale (Arizona), where Panama awaits her. The game will be broadcast on Caracol, RCN and DSports.

In Colombia, the match will start at 5 p.m., but in that area, close to Phoenix and the desert, it is two hours earlier, with all that this implies in terms of climate.

However, the squad of players seems to feel comfortable. “We have grown a little fond of the heat, it makes us feel a little closer to Barranquilla. We wanted to return to Glendale because we wanted to be first in the group,” said Jhon Arias at the press conference on Friday.

“Panama is a very physical team, with very powerful players. It is not an easy opponent, not at all. Uruguay had a hard time opening the scoring. We are going to respect them because they are a tough opponent. We are going to have to play very well to get through,” said coach Néstor Lorenzo after passing the test against Brazil.

The challenge of Panama, a physical and complicated team

Colombia could have beaten the five-time world champions, but the 1-1 draw at the end of the group stage in Santa Clara (California) ensured them first place in the group and, with that, avoid Uruguay in this stage. They could meet them in the semi-finals. Or meet Brazil again.

But first, Colombia will have to resolve the dilemma of Panama, a team that, according to Lorenzo, has a “European” style, instilled by Thomas Christiansen, a coach born in Denmark, but with Spanish nationality because of his mother’s origins.

The team started with a defeat against Uruguay, which it made things difficult for for 85 minutes, until it succumbed due to its specific weight. But then it surprised by beating the United States, the home team of the Cup and also the host of the next World Cup: it took advantage of its numerical superiority and won 2-1. Then it had to work hard to beat Bolivia 3-1 and secure qualification.

On paper, Colombia is superior. But we must not be careless. One of the team’s leading figures and currently the most sought-after player in the national team, Liverpool striker Luis Díaz, warned of the complications that the next match could bring.

“We can’t relax, we have to keep the same mentality and not underestimate our opponents,” said Lucho in the mixed zone after the 1-1 draw against Brazil. “We are in that process of always moving forward. We played well, we fought hard and we got a good result for ourselves,” he added.

The issue of the undefeated, at this point, is nothing more than an anecdote.: 26 games without losing, 23 of them under Lorenzo. He is one away from equalling the historic record of the National Team, between 1992 and 1994, which began with Humberto ‘Tucho’ Ortiz as coach and then grew exponentially with Pacho Maturana. But that is just a dry prize. The big prize is to fight for the Cup title. And that is what the team is aiming for.

Heat, another concern

Although State Farm Stadium, where the match will be played, is an air-conditioned venue, the heat is still an issue to consider. At match time, temperatures are expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius. Colombia had to train in the morning, when the weather was not so bad.

Colombia already played in that stadium at the same time against Costa Rica and the team responded well. “It is normal that as the games go by one gets tired, but I tried to give everything until the last minute,” said James Rodríguez, the team’s great figure in this Cup, after the game against Brazil.

The national team is the favourite to advance, even if the coaching staff lowers its profile a little. Surely, they do so to avoid generating excess confidence that at this stage of the tournament would be detrimental. There is a lot at stake: the possibility of securing the six matches and staying in the race for the title.

Colombia vs. Panama match sheet

Jose Orlando Ascencio

Sports Deputy Editor

@josasc

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