The keys to the Colombia National Team call: a new player and a ‘stick’ in Néstor Lorenzo’s 28

The list led by Luis Díaz, the crash of English Liverpool, is marked by two facts: first, the arrival of a new player. For the first time in management, Lorenzo called center forward Miguel Ángel Borja, striker for the Argentine River Plate. His 17 goals so far this year support his arrival, requested by a large sector of critics and fans.

He took the place of Mateo Casierra, who just last Sunday scored five goals with the Russian Zenit and who had been part of this process: he was in the last six calls, although he only played in three games. He scored a goal in the friendly against Iraq.

The second fact is a stick, a surprise: the return to the team of Mateus Uribe, the brand midfielder who has barely played in three games this year, all in this month: 10 minutes and two starts. The ‘major discussion’ is no longer the presence of James Rodríguez, who has not played for São Paulo for a month and a half, or whether they called David Ospina, Yerry Mina, Dávinson Sánchez, Santiago Arias, Johan Mojica, Jefferson Lerma again and Juanfer Quintero, the survivors of the 2018 Russia World Cup…

(Also read: José Néstor Pékerman ‘relives the past’ and bets on the Colombian National Team: ‘He found his way again’)

The ‘debate’ is about the third goalkeeper: the absence of Kevin Mier, with a great performance and praised at Cruz Azul in Mexico, and the presence of Álvaro Montero, with irregular performances at Millonarios, the only player in the local League. Lorenzo does not lie or does not lie: he already said, tactfully, that the level of our League “has to give a little more. There are many things that mark the reality of the League.”

Carlos Gómez, Gabriel Fuentes, Gustavo Puerta, Juan Camilo Portilla and Juan David Cabal were excluded from the squad for last March’s friendlies against Spain and Romania. Lorenzo once again took into account, in addition to Uribe, Dávinson Sánchez, Déiver Machado, Jhon Jáder Durán, Sinisterra, Luis Sinisterra, Sebastián Gómez and Yerry Mina.

Two of the 28 will not play in the Copa América. It seems that Gómez’s fate will depend on Uribe’s fitness and health. Maybe the other is a center back (Yerson Mosquera?).
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