It’s been a year since Reinaldo Wheel received in his hands the shirt of the Colombia selection. He received her dressed in a suit and with a mask that did not reveal his smile. But his eyes gave him away. I was happy to take on this challenge, which is now a challenge in progress: going to the Qatar World Cup.
That January 19 Reinaldo, who today would reveal his summons to face Peru and Argentina in the tie, was presented as DT of the National Team.
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Beneath his suit he looked like he was wearing a firefighter’s uniform. Because in those days the National Team was on fire. She came from losing humiliated by Uruguay (0-3) and doubly humiliated by Ecuador (6-1). There was fire!
The tie was young, Colombia had 4 points, but the noise of those defeats had its consequences. The Portuguese Carlos Queiroz left, the victim of the debacle. And Rueda arrived, almost pushed from Chile, where he was a DT who divided, to rebuild on the ashes. Because the team was falling apart, facing rumors about internal fights, division…
-Are you first to put out a fire? –he was asked at that first press conference.
-You shouldn’t give for that adjective… I hope we have an atmosphere of harmony, that what happened is analyzed from a football perspective. We must all take care of the health of the national team – replied Rueda, with a firm, convinced voice.
Before that day he had already spoken with the team captains, with Ospina, with Falcao… he already had some idea of what happened or did not happen, and he had already made a mental map of what lay ahead in this challenge.
In the midst of the pandemic
The first thing he did was a microcycle, a job with players from the local environment of which the only one who stayed and remains is the attacker Miguel Borja.
Its premiere was delayed, because the double date in March, against Brazil and Paraguay, was postponed. Meanwhile, his work with the main team was remote.
In June of last year the premiere finally came, in two tough games in the tie. The balance was favorable, victory against Peru (0-3) and draw against Argentina (2-2). The start could not be better.
A Touchy Subject: James
Then came the time for the Copa América, and the first controversy. The thorny issue of James Rodríguez… James arrived in the country from his premature vacation, injured, without playing for Everton, and for that reason he did not play in those qualifying games, but James had in his head that he was going to be in the Copa América , was convinced of that, and was in the initial call. But Rueda finally did not take it, there a confrontation was uncovered. James felt disrespected, he said it openly.
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Rueda said that he needed it 500 percent, one of his most famous phrases so far. And the Colombian Football Federation argued that the player was not recovered from the injury. Finally he did not go to the Copa América and a crack remained in that relationship. At least at that time.
The Copa América was Rueda’s first great challenge. He did not win it, but the balance was not bad. Colombia was third, behind Argentina and Brazil. He played a great game for the Brazilians, Luis Díaz established himself as a star of the tournament, the team won filming. However, a headache began to develop from that time: the lack of goals. The scorers were, but off.
Colombia made 9 points, product of two victories (Ecuador and Peru) and three draws. Rueda’s mission was accomplished, to make a good presentation and finally be able to work with the team. Get to know him better.
After the Cup, Rueda organized another local job. He called it morphocycle, a bet on the future, because solutions and alternatives did not come from there. What’s more, he has preferred to bet on players who were only on his radar, like when he mentioned Yéimar Gómez or Diego Valoyes, who were ‘sticks’. But in general its base remains the same. He even turned to James, who returned a year later. Thus, they have won two games and drawn 7. And they have gone five games in a row without a goal.
Rueda still has to lament unusual goals that Colombia missed and that would have the team without so many complications. The goal that Andrés Andrade did not make in the tie against Bolivia that should have been a victory. The goal that Duván Zapata did not score in the tie against Uruguay that should have been a victory. The goal that Diego Valoyes did not score in the draw against Paraguay, which should also have been a victory. And so…
He also had to deal with many injuries, many absences, a chain of factors that prevented him from establishing a team and, on the contrary, he had to adjust and readjust in each game, as happened in November when his defense was falling apart.
In November, James finally returned, a year later, for the matches against Brazil and Paraguay. Rueda almost didn’t wear it, he confessed, because he was in a bad rhythm again, with a blow to the ribs, but he had already called him up and he wasn’t going to start a second round.
Colombia finished 2021 in the World Cup qualifying zone, in fourth place and with 17 points.
2022 started with a call for local players, mostly, and they beat Honduras 2-1 without showing the expected superiority. Rueda said that it had been a good test, but it was clear, few players from that team are designed for the tie, the one that comes now on January 28 against Peru, and on February 1 against Argentina. From that match he had a new headache, Juan Fernando Quintero, who came out with a concussion and these days is recovering to be able to be in the call.
A year after its official presentation, the Rueda project is still not over, there are four games left to go to Qatar. Then Rueda, if he succeeds, will be able to look at the country again with the same sparkle he had in his eyes a year ago, when he came to put out the fire, and received the yellow jersey to remove the ashes.
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Paul Romero
Editor of EL TIEMPO
@PabloRomeroET
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