Colombia vs. Uruguay, it seems more like a final… (Last Tango) / column by Jorge Barraza

Golden semi-finals. Colombia scored five against PanamaThe yellow team reached its peak of performance and charm, and the Canalera team paid for it. Then came the battle of Las Vegas between Brazil and Uruguay, where football was a formal excuse to kick and hit each other without being arrested by the police. Brazil added another big failure. Uruguay’s passage to the night surely took away from Colombia the euphoria of the 5-0 in the afternoon. La Celeste plays at the absolute limit of referee tolerance. Another brawl promises for Wednesday.

Perfection

Colombia gave its large colony in the United States another football feast. In another compact collective display, added one more victory and extended its unbeaten streak to 27 games24 in the Lorenzo era, with 16 wins and 8 draws.

But more than the statistics, which are beautiful, of course, there is the game. It was a championship performance. Football on all sides, individuality, speed, attack, defense, harmony, forcefulness. Not even Julio Verne could have imagined this Colombian present, so soon after that fateful Qatar qualifiers (March 2022), when not only was he eliminated from the World Cup, but he also played ugly and badly and went seven games without scoring. Now he has eleven in four games. It’s heaven after hell.

“There is no five-goal difference between Colombia and Panama“, declared the Argentine coach, briefly, measuredly, completely detached from praise and success stories, without demagogy, without false modesty. “We arrived well,” he added, referring to the semi-final against Uruguayin which he will recover Jefferson Lermaa physical colossus that will be necessary to clash against the Easterners.

James’s Cup

James is the freshest player in the Cup, he only played 265 minutes in the semester and it shows, he is flying, he is back to the best level of his career. It is the same James of World Cup 2014. Against Panama he gave two more assists and scored from the penalty spot. He is in a magical moment.

Lorenzo has given him absolute freedom in the square, to get close to the centre forward, to the wingers, to the full-backs when they go up, to link up with whoever he considers appropriate. That has empowered him, freed him. And also the confidence and relevance that the coach has given him has made him almost the owner of the team, but with the backing of his teammates. It is very comforting to see him like this after years in the shadows.

Mystery

Nestor Lorenzo He retired as a player in 1998 and only took charge of a team in 2021, Melgar FC from Peru, the only step before the Colombian National Team. Before that, he had always been an assistant to other coaches. He also did a brilliant job at Melgar. He is one of the most notable revelations in technical management. He is 58 years old, the question is why no one discovered him before…?

Exam

However, this honeymoon of the team, of the fans, of the country, will be put to the test on Wednesday against Uruguay. Bielsa’s team had already been labelled as a cuckoo. Now, after eliminating Brazil, more than ever. Colombia will play everything in one match: if they lose, they will say that everything before was useless, if they overcome that obstacle, glory awaits them.

Decade

After another night of fear and being left out of the America Cupan anniversary stirs the wound, deepens it: Today marks ten years since Brazil beat Germany 1-7 in the 2014 World Cupthe day we realized that Brazil was no longer the powerful, invincible and beautiful team that enchanted the world. That day their pride was thrashed.

Powerless

This is USA It is another cheap version of the Verdeamarilla, without real stars, only rich and famous. The one that could not beat Costa Rica, the one that did not go beyond 0-0 and lost on penalties to a fierce, tough Uruguay, that went beyond the limits of grit. But Uruguay was always more or less like that, except that this Brazil was not prepared, either football-wise or mentally, to overcome such an obstacle. Uruguay ended up with ten. And if there were nine, Brazil would not have beaten them either. It was clear that they had no way.

Image

A video went around the world after Brazil’s elimination: before the penalty shoot-out, as usual, all the teams form a circle around their coach, who gives the list of those who will be in charge of kicking, gives a speech and gives some instructions to the goalkeeper and the kickers. In the case of Brazil, the players formed a circle and left out Dorival Junior, who was trying to get in the middle and say something. He couldn’t do it, they didn’t let him, they turned their backs on him the whole time. It’s a pathetic scene and it shows that things are not right there, there is no minimum principle of authority.

Disturbing

A torrent of data came to light after the game. Brazil will complete 24 years without winning a World Cup in 2026. In the last 4 World Cups, it was not even the best South American team. In 2028, when the next edition comes around, it will have won a Copa America in 21 years. João Havelange left the presidency of the FIFA In 1998, Brazil no longer had any kind of control or influence over CONMEBOL, much less over the parent company in Zurich.

For decades, the FIFA and CONMEBOL referees committee was in control. Not anymore. The monsters of yesteryear, who decided matches with or without a coach, are no longer in control. Vinicius He is the leader of this team, a player more focused on controversies and altercations than on the game. By the way, Vinicius arrived at the Cup as a superstar for his performance in the real Madriddid not impact the tournament.

Gerson

The superstar and supreme leader of the 1970 Brazilian champions made strong statements on his YouTube channel. “This midfield is rubbish. Do they know how to play? Paquetá knows how to play, but he wants to fight with everyone, they caution him and he had to leave. João Gomes? That kid doesn’t know how to play football, he only plays on the wings and back… The two full-backs were stuck, Danilo doesn’t know how to play. The base of the team doesn’t exist, João Gomes is not a midfielder. The midfield is for those who know, for those who think. And the one who thinks is Paquetá, who only wants to fight…”

Litter

“This is a generation that can help Brazil go through its longest period without world titles,” said Cahê Mota of Globoesporte. Brazil was the only South American football team that did not stop its domestic championship during the Copa America, which its media gave minimal coverage to.