Even though many do not agree with being called, The match against Spain seems to prove Néstor Lorenzo right and demonstrate the importance of James Rodríguez continuing to be part of the Colombian National Team. beyond its lack of continuity in recent years.
The Spanish press began to look for references of that team that was going to test La Roja and they found a well-known name, with a step from more to less for Real Madrid, but with important figures in Spain: 125 games, 37 goals and 42 assists.
The calls to the Colombian media were, in many cases, to ask about him. Questions for coach Néstor Lorenzo from journalists born outside Colombian borders were also about the '10'.
And the issue goes there: James continues to be a respected figure, perhaps more outside of Colombia than here. It continues to be a cause of concern for rivals, even though today it does not have the same speed or the same continuity of its younger years, which led him to be the scorer in Brazil 2014. Luis Díaz is already following that path and the other set of questions has been about the guajiro, absolutely current in Liverpool.
“I play in the National Team until I'm lame,” said James in the now distant Copa América Centenario of 2016. And it seems that the yellow shirt (or the strange black one with which they played on Friday, although the important thing is the shield) is a motivation special for him, although he also had his cone of shadow in the qualifying round for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, in which he did not weigh.
This James from the Lorenzo era plays comfortably in the minutes he is on the court, which are no longer 90: the years go by and his physique is not enough for him. But the ones he plays in are decisive.
Nestor Lorenzo
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Lorenzo continues defending James' call
His moment in the last clubs does not justify his call: he left Al Rayyan, Olympiacos poorly and was about to leave Brazil a month ago. But what he does dressed in yellow makes us understand why Lorenzo goes all out for him, as he said in the press conference after the triumph against La Roja who played in pale yellow.
James Rodríguez (right), in Al Rayyan training.
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“James is a great player, different, he is looking for his best form and we thought that the best thing was for him to perform for the team in the second half and he did very well. He has shown that he has a lot to give to the National Team. You know what James can give. The National Team feels it in a special way,” said the coach on Friday in London.
Hopefully James can find in Brazil the continuity that he has not had since leaving Bayern, almost five years ago, for different reasons, physical and personal. And, furthermore, an additional motivation: he is close to reaching the centenary of matches in the National Team (he has 97) and he is the team's second all-time scorer (he has 27). That committed James from the last presentations with the National Team always gives an important hand.
The Ascencio tournament…
Jose Orlando Ascencio
Sports Deputy Editor
@josasc
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