Applies to both national teams, the men’s senior team and the women’s junior team: Matches are not won the day before, or by being higher up in the table, or by the shirt, or by the time or by the home team, or…
According to the criteria of
It sure killed confidence, says the saying, which is pure and true popular wisdom.
But let’s take it one step at a time: the Colombian senior men’s team arrives in Lima to face Peru with the Copa América runner-up title and undefeated third place in the World Cup qualifiers.
In Lima, Colombia has not lost for 43 years. And today they will face the worst Peru of the century, the team that is at the bottom of the table for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers because they have not won a single game. How bad must Peru be that it surpasses Bolivia? Just imagine!
But games are won – and lost, be careful with this! – on the pitch, not in statistics, not in the history books, not in favouritism… The national team has to play with total seriousness and responsibility, as if this game were the last straw in the qualification. As first things first, today we have to win.
To do so, of course, Colombia must field its starting team, the best it has, without thinking that any of the cautioned players could be excluded from the game against Argentina, next Tuesday in Barranquilla.
Colombian National Team
Photo:
That’s why tonight’s team will surely be ‘THE’ team: Vargas; Muñoz, Lucumí, Cuesta and Mojica; Castaño, Ríos and Arias; James, Díaz and Córdoba. The starting lineup is available with two first substitutes required: Lucumí and Castaño. And that’s even though half the team is on yellow: Muñoz, Cuesta, Arias, Díaz and Córdoba. They are professional footballers and know how to play in this situation without being reckless and without hiding.
Peru must be beaten, even if it has poison in its tail. With no football and no points, it has the urgency of self-respect: it can still fight for sixth or seventh place, for the last place in the World Cup or for the play-offs. The numbers add up. Peru, although it may seem so, is not dead. It is a probable risk. But, let’s not lie to ourselves: we must beat them. It is time to beat them. We must beat them… I repeat: they surely killed confidence, says the saying that is pure and true popular wisdom.
The phrase also applies to the U-20 women’s team.
The U-20 women’s team, already qualified for the second phase, faces Mexico: it’s Friday in Medellín: a great plan!
But beware: they must get the result to keep their first place in their group at the U-20 World Cup. This is no small matter, because if they finish first in the group – as they should! – they will face a third-placed team. If they lose to Mexico, they could face the United States in the round of 16. A real pain.
Colombian women’s U-20 team
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I think I once told you that my father used to repeat an Arabic proverb that says: “Life is governed by three rules. One: what must be done, must be done. Two: what cannot be done, must not be done. And three: always enforce the two previous ones.”
Both teams have to win, and logically they should win. To do that, they have to be serious and play firmly to kill confidence. It’s their turn… It’s their turn!
Meluk tells him…
Gabriel Meluk
Sports Editor
@MelukLeCuenta
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