Luis Fernando Suárez is close to achieving his third qualification for a World Cup. He had already achieved it with Ecuador, in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and then took Honduras to Brazil 2014. In charge of Costa Rica since June of last year, Suárez has already secured the Concacaf playoff, in which he already has a rival, Nueva Zeeland. This Wednesday closed the regional tie with a 2-0 victory against the United States, in San José.
The beginning of Suárez’s adventure in Costa Rica was not easy. Eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup against Panama, the first dates of the qualifiers were very tough, with just six points in the first seven games. But then the team got back on track and got 16 points out of a possible 18 to get into contention to go to Qatar.
(Also read: Colombia National Team: These soccer players would never play a World Cup again)
While preparing what is to come and the possibility of reaching his third World Cup, he takes a sidelong look at what is happening in South America, where Colombia was eliminated from Qatar 2022. In a chat with EL TIEMPO, Suárez analyzed what the team led by Reinaldo Rueda and also how he had to work to get Costa Rica back into contention and lead them to their third consecutive World Cup.
Suárez’s vision of Colombia’s elimination
How do you analyze the elimination of Colombia from the World Cup in Qatar?
I have always thought that when something like this happens, you have to review the processes. If one is eliminated, there are many things to correct. From what I have been able to see, they talk a lot about something missing in the player’s preparation: there are many people playing abroad, but we must think about finishing them better, they are finishing training elsewhere. What we should ask ourselves, at the level of minor divisions, is if those players who are arriving are doing things correctly, if a well-developed product is being delivered, not only locally, but also internationally, that would generate other things. What is seen in international club tournaments with Colombian teams is a reflection of that and deserves a review.
You have led in two qualifying rounds, Concacaf and Conmebol, and in both you qualified for the World Cup. Is there a big level difference?
I think that the level of South America is still higher. The capacity, what one sees of players in South America, there is an advantage in talent, there is still a higher quality. But I want to be clear on this: it seems that here in Concacaf they see that soccer is not played: the truth is another, people have to land.
Is it more difficult to qualify in Concacaf or here in South America?
The South American looks with disdain at Concacaf: in South America there are ten countries, fighting for four and a half places. In Concacaf there are 37 teams and there are three and a half places. In addition, in South America there is a situation where Brazil and Argentina are always the favorites and the others fight for two and a half places. Something at a certain time is relatively easier.
(Also: Luis Díaz vents after elimination from the National Team: ‘It hurts too much’)
Suárez highlights the progress of the Concacaf teams
How far has Concacaf soccer progressed?
It has made a lot of progress: there is still that distance between some countries and others, but Canada, which was very little eight, ten years ago, has done a great job in lower divisions. The United States, the same: the MLS is not a championship where players finish their campaign, but people who have a lot to give. The infrastructure of the stadiums and the teams are much better. In addition, the islands are competitive, not only physical strength. For Mexico, the classification before was very easy, now it is not.
Where is Costa Rica compared to the others?
Well, the point is not that Costa Rica has regressed, but that the others have risen. At some point Panama did; in another, Honduras; now Canada. Costa Rica has to pinch itself, but it is still an important contribution to Concacaf.
It will be one year in Costa Rica. What was the scene when she arrived?
We arrived for the Gold Cup and we started relatively well. We managed to qualify for the quarterfinals and Canada eliminated us there. Reviewing the campus, one saw that the idea was not to leave the veterans out, but one saw that something was missing. In the first part of the tie we were not given the results. We wanted to make a replacement and there was no response. So we ended up making some changes, looking at some options, doing microcycles and then the team stood out, accelerating processes in some players.
The atmosphere was not easy at the beginning. How did you manage to straighten the path?
I think this partly comes out of the football part. A little what I found was that, a total discontent, it was even going through situations outside of football: the trial of the previous president, some situations that arose with Jorge Luis Pinto (N. de la R.: three players of the national team , Keylor Navas, Celso Borges and Bryan Ruiz, sued two leaders who claimed that they had threatened to lose games to get Pinto out of the 2014 World Cup). We achieved what we wanted with honesty and transparency. Everyone took the same path, a single north.
The Colombian quota that works with Luis F. Suárez
You work with a psychologist, who even enters the court. How is that job?
We are very clear about that, I have been with Dr. Felipe Camacho for almost seven, eight years. The most important thing, and this is the difference with what all the clubs do, is that I take a sports psychologist who does training work, who is on the pitch, who does concentration, memory, peripheral vision work, who They are inherent in the brain. They are not motivational jobs: wearing a motivator for me has some good things, but it is not a long-term situation. The development of the player’s brain is growing and Felipe’s is a constant, we meet with the players, there is always work on the pitch, also in the room, but there is a lot of mental training: distractions, working when it comes to being profiled, having good peripheral vision, all of that is worked on. One sees that the player has some shortcomings that he should not have at this point and had to work since he was a child, it is still something that is not taken into account. There is much more here, a brain that puts the feet to work and not a coach that all he does is give orders and carry them out, he trains that factor as well.
Costa Rica took another Colombian coach, John Bodmer, as an assistant, who we knew better here in B and who was promoted with Tigres. What does it give you?
John is my complement. I am a person who believes, and a lot, in the work of the soccer coach. Not only does it compete with the situation of tactical and strategic work, but there is also a relationship, a mental state, a cohesive group, which is always the task, being with all the players, the new methodologies. John is an advantage, he works well in that, I can leave all those situations for him to do and I can dedicate myself to more macro things. That is the ideal complement.
(In other news: Millonarios did not fail, beat Junior and resumed the leadership of the League)
There are already several Colombian coaches who have passed through Concacaf.
Sometimes it makes me sad that what the Colombian coach does is not recognized. What Pinto did here in Costa Rica was very good, Pacho Maturana himself, Hernán (Gómez) qualified for Panama. We have a good school.
You had already managed Concacaf and qualified Honduras for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. How much has the tie changed from that time to today?
Basically, eight years ago it was Mexico first, most likely the United States was second and the fight there was with Costa Rica, Honduras and perhaps an island. Now things have changed: we must take into account the islands, Canada. Even having such an uncomfortable position, for me Honduras played well, they have good players for the next process. And Panama for me is a big surprise. I thought that what was done four years ago with Hernán (Gómez) was going to cost him the process of having good players. The vast majority of those who were in Russia were 34, 35 years old and above. Now very interesting players have come out, they display a great game.
What do you expect from the playoff against New Zealand?
So far I am collecting data. Now everything is easier: I am going to travel to Qatar, there is a person who lives there and who is already taking data and who has seen the matches of the two teams that were in the fight, New Zealand and the Solomon Islands. I had never lived this experience of the playoffs and in a single game anything can happen. What happened to Italy with North Macedonia is a lesson for everyone.
Jose Orlando Ascencio
Sports Sub-Editor
@josasc
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