The match of Colombia against Honduras lasted 42 minutes. The 42 minutes he was Juan Fernando Quintero on the pitch 42 minutes to enjoy his arsenal of tricks, those that motivate the main team, the one that will play the real thing, the tie against Peru and Argentina. The rest of the match, which he won 2-1, was spent lamenting that Quintero was no longer there, and worrying that he left with some physical discomfort. The worst thing that could happen to Colombia in this friendly of local players, against a harmless rival, was that the international, the crack, the one who returns from China to River, got hurt.
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In those 42 minutes Quintero did and undid. He played with the freedom of those who know the most. He played as if his rivals did not know him, because no one was in his way. He played with the efficiency of those who do not like to shine alone, because he associated with everyone. His symphony of long and short passes was collective: Quintero with Chará. Quintero with Preciado. Quintero with Borja. Quintero with Quintero. It is that he was able to start and finish the first goal. First he looked for Borja to resolve, but the ball returned, as always, to his feet, as if magnetized, and when it came back to his loot, he just had to touch it, and he made it look so simple, like a pass to the net, without that no one in Honduras would notice. 10 minutes and 1-0.
The scare for Quintero
Friendlies have this. That you can enjoy the figures that play without pressure, give them play so that they gain confidence. But you run the risk of exposing them. When Quintero threw himself on the floor and showed that something hurt him, it was already to put his hands to his head. With him on the field, Colombia worked, the others were on the alert, not the rivals, who didn’t know, but his teammates, who knew that he was going to throw them a different pass. He left at minute 42 and the last thing he did was play cortico, run a little, so that nothing would get worse. He was replaced by the young Yaser Asprilla, who played as if he had a thousand battles.
(Also read: Juan Fernando Quintero sets off alarms in the National Team: he was injured)
And meanwhile, Honduras watched. If any average Honduran dared to throw a hurdle, Giraldo and Vega, the two seasoned brand midfielders, quickly extinguished any attempt, so comfortable that they were two brand midfielders in a rival field. The opponent, the one led by Hernán Darío Gómez, was very light. That is why the game turned out to be a training session with the public; training with the public and in the United States and with concern for Quintero…
Another Colombia, without Quintero
In the second half there was inaccuracy, confusion. It was as if the team, this team, had prepared this game around Quintero and didn’t know what to do without him. A helpless team. Only Yaser, intrepid and irreverent, lit the spark that went out without Quintero.
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But no, the game was not only 42 minutes long. In reality, it was missing that Candelo grabbed a rival in the area and committed a penalty. That the Honduran Arriaga fired and Chunga did not guess. That the game against an inoffensive rival was put 1-1…
And it was missing that thanks to that Colombia reacted. Asprilla had to lead the team, as if he were the most seasoned, and managed the play in which Chará threw the center back, where Colorado decided for 2-1, in 22 minutes of the final part. And now yes, that was it, because beyond Asprilla’s snatches and Preciado’s attempts, nothing more relevant happened. Colombia won a training session, but lost their calm, because of Quintero.
PAUL ROMERO
Editor of THE TIME
@PabloRomeroET
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