Nestor Lawrence prepares his call for the next two friendlies of the Colombia selection against Korea and Japan -March 24 and 28-, but he has problems quoting the forwards, as injuries and low level are a constant. If Colombia has the task of overcoming the goal crisis that left it out of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, today the outlook is not kind.
Lorenzo has led the team in 4 friendlies and is undefeated, 3 wins and a draw. But he must have a headache with the timing of most attackers.
And the forwards?
2023 began with hardships for the scorers: Falcao garcia, the symbol and who has scored a goal in the era Lorenzo, scored against Paraguay, plays for Rayo Vallecano from time to time.
Rafael Santos Borreanother who has scored a goal in this process, against Guatemala, has lost ownership at Eintracht in Germany. He also plays little.
AND Luis Diaz, the winger who is Colombia’s great hope for the next tie, has not played in Liverpool since October due to a knee injury from which he is recovering. That leaves him far from the call that is coming.
Lorenzo has already shown in his three calls (one against Guatemala and Mexico, and another against Paraguay and another against the United States) that he is looking for new options in attack.
One that was making its way was Luis Sinisterra, who is the top scorer in the Lorenzo era, with 3 goals. But Sinisterra has also had a 2023 oblivion, so far, due to the injuries that cut him off at Leeds in England.
Then who?
Let’s keep exploring. In his calls Lorenzo has cited other players such as jader duran, and he is today a good option. The striker who couldn’t play in the South American sub-20 because he went to his new club, the astonville, is picking up pace in the Premier League. He was already in Lorenzo’s first three friendlies, which takes him little by little.
Who else? This Oscar Estupiñán, the one from Hull City, who for now does not add minutes with Colombia. Diego Valoyes, from Talleres de Argentina, has not scored this year.
In the last friendly, Lorenzo, since he couldn’t have the usual players because it wasn’t a Fifa date, called up Cucho Hernández, Cristian Arango and Diber Cambindo, and none of them scored against the USA. So who?
If we think of the old referents as Duvan Zapata and Luis Fernando Muriel, since both play very little in Atalanta. They lost ownership a while ago, diminished by injuries and their present is not the best.
So the picture is not very wide. Will Lorenzo think about the local league or about one of the under-20 teams? The attack is today his headache.
PAUL ROMERO
Editor of EL TIEMPO
@PabloRomeroET
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