Jose Pékerman leads Colombia for the third consecutive international tournament.
Neil W. Blackmon, Jon Levy and Gabriel Luis Manga
Part Two of a lengthy preview of the opening match of the 2016 Copa América Centenario.
What to Watch For From Colombia:
There’s a compelling argument that outside Argentina, Los Cafeteros possess the most attacking talent in this competition, even without Falcao, who hasn’t been the same since injuring his knee, and Teófilo Gutierrez, who José Pékerman omitted from his final roster.
Pékerman, who has led Colombia since 2012, has developed a reputation as a master of adjustments, willing to make just enough changes to keep Colombia unpredictable without jeopardizing the fluidity of the attacking soccer. There are those at home who think Pékerman changes things too often- imagine a country thinking a manager overtinkers!!—and blame the gaffer for the team’s Copa failures last summer in Chile. But by and large Colombians praise Pékerman for leading the team to the quarterfinals in Brazil, where they outplayed the hosts but ultimately succumbed to a rugged, physical Brazil privileging brute force over beautiful soccer.
Formation wise, Pékerman changed things in Brazil when he abandoned the 4-2-2-2 that guided the team through CONMEBOL and simplified the game, slotting Teófilo in the spot traditionally occupied by Falcao, and pushing James Rodriguez inside from the left to play the number ten. It was a clever tactical rethink: and one that exploited dynamic speed on the edges in at the time Fiorentina man Juan Cuadrado and another Copa omission, Victor Ibarbo. Pékerman wasn’t shy about changing who played opposite Cuadrado in Brazil- even opting for Porto captain and Liverpool target Jackson Martinez (who usually paired with Falcao) in the Round of 16. That trend has continued, with the spot opposite Cuadrado being the most changed in the 2018 cycle.
The shift in formation accomplished two things, both directly contributing to the quarterfinal run by Colombia. First, it allowed Rodriguez to dictate the game from the center, and while he’s not a natural number ten, he is one of the smartest players in the world, a thinker who sees the game sequences ahead, much like Arjen Robben in that respect. His opening goal against Uruguay (yes, the howitzer) demonstrated this perfectly. The strike isn’t even the best part of the film– it’s his movement before it, and his quick glance, just before receiving the pass, where he decides he has enough space to fire away. Watch for yourselves:
Rodriguez has struggled since a beyond lucrative move to Real Madrid, and was a part in name only of the club’s Champions League victory last weekend. But he’s been sensational for Colombia, where he’s played his game – instinctively dropping deep to link up with the central midfielders and then feeding the ball to the flanks. The World Cup performance has meant that James has tended to have defenders draped on his shoulder for country since, and his response has been by and large excellent. Look for him simply to try to move his marker into uncomfortable areas, whether it be deep positions, wide on the left or drifting between the lines. He’s quick on the ball and keeps his distributions simple, and it’s the kind of test that demanded Klinsmann call in a savvy six like Kyle Beckerman and a relentless tracker like Ale Bedoya, who must help when Rodriguez drifts.
Above him, Carlos Bacca is an elite level target player, and one who needs almost zero space to operate. Notice how little room he has when receiving the ball in the video below, and how quickly he takes a foot or two and turns it into magic. (0:1o seconds)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2fCWmI7U8o
In more recent qualifiers, Colombia have favored a 4-5-1, with Bacca the lone target man, and some combination involving James and Cuadrado behind them. Edwin Cardono, who plays with Edgar Castillo at Monterrey, has featured, as has youngster Sebastian Perez. Pékerman did shift to a 4-4-2 in a friendly against Haiti in the build-up, pairing Bacca with veteran Tijuana forward Dayro Moreno, but the latter hasn’t seen the field in qualifying in 2016 and would be a surprise starter Friday evening.
For more on Colombia, we reached out to Gabriel Luis Manga, a Colombian-American writer based in New York City who has covered Los Cafeteros for a good while, and wrote a wonderful piece about the joyous soccer they played in Brazil. Manga, whose work has been featured in The Guardian, Howler and Al Jazeera, among other outlets, answered a handful of our pressing questions about this incarnation of Colombia.
TYAC: A friend of mine, from Medellín, tells me that until 2014, fútbol colombiano era tristeza absoluta. It isn’t Marquez, but it resonates when you think about the history or Los Cafeteros. But then that World Cup happened, and they seemed to be fun, nearly pure joy. They came home to a hero’s welcome. Has the team retained the fun-loving, joyous style of soccer as they enter the Copa?
Gabriel: Your Paisa friend is correct. Despite the small blip of winning the Copa America (at home) in 2001, Los Cafeteros were a team that thoroughly underperformed for years and years. The 2014 World Cup was a revelation, a team that not only won, but was a party bus of a squad that danced, scored, and brought absolute ecstasy to every touch of the ball they made.
Pekerman has kept that ethos of the team intact, but last summer’s Copa America in Chile was a bit of a come down for the team. They only scored one goal the entire tournament (though they did beat Brazil). On paper it was sobering, but a closer look shows that the team wasn’t completely off the rails: they got bounced on penalties in the quarter-finals to eventual runner up Argentina. This year the hope is they can put it all together again and regain that 2014 form.
TYAC: South American countries seem to be responding to this tournament in different ways- some feigning indifference and some thinking it is an opportunity to win a large international tournament. Is there a sense Colombia feels one way or another about this particular Copa?
Gabriel: Given the fact that 2015 was a letdown for a team that was feeling it had “arrived” as a big time South American squad, I think Colombia will be looking towards this tournament as an opportunity to get back on track. Their U23’s are playing in the Olympics, but given Pekerman has called up a group of young talent for this tournament as well, there’s a sense he’s not trying to split squads, and wants this.
TYAC: If there’s a characteristic of Jose Pekerman that has been consistent since he’s taken over in 2012, it seems it is that he isn’t afraid to make changes. Enter this roster: one that sees Teófilo, Jackson Martinez and Falcao all out, among other players. What do you think motivated the decision to leave such big name players at home?
Gabriel: Teo is the most surprising player to be left out for me. He moved to Sporting Lisbon and has been playing very very well. Maybe Teo’s attitude/enigmatic nature have worn Pékerman thin? There’s also the fact that he’ll be 33 by the time the next World Cup comes around, so maybe they are preparing for life without him. Jackson Martinez and Falcao make more sense to leave out. Martinez moved a step down in competition when he transferred to China and has been hurt recently. Falcao hasn’t been the same player since the knee injury that ruled him out of the World Cup in 2014 and barely featured at all for Chelsea while on loan. Beyond that, Pékerman has shown he can win without him.
TYAC: Everyone knows about James and Carlos Bacca, and what they are capable of. Who is another player that needs to play well for Colombia to succeed at the Copa? Is there a player less on the radar you expect to shine or emerge?
Gabriel: If someone only follows the Premier League they might remember Juan Cuadrado as a flameout for Chelsea, but I think that might have more to do with him not being a fit with Mourinho/that squad than anything else. He’s back in form with Juventus, and for me he’s one of the most essential players for Colombia’s attacking success. In the last World Cup, he and James were telepathically connected. Look for him tearing up right flanks up and down the pitch. If he gets in a groove, Colombia could do quite well. For emerging players, I think Edwin Cardona could make a bigger name for himself in this tournament. If you watch Liga MX, you’ll know him from the season he’s had with Monterrey. A good tournament here could mean calls from Europe get louder for the 23 year old.
TYAC: Diego Milito’s Racing Club understudy Roger Martinez eliminated the US from the Olympics, essentially. This tournament could be the first time he sees action with the senior team. Any chance he plays or is he just here to soak things in?
Gabriel: The striking corps for Colombia is a funny balance: you’ve got Bacca and Dayro Moreno, both on the older end, and then the two youngsters in Marlos Moreno and Martinez. Obviously Bacca and Dayro Moreno are projected starters and leaders, but I could see Martinez getting on the field if the team needs a spark/change of pace.
TYAC: Is there a team in the group stage that you think will give Colombia the most trouble? Who?
There’s no easy out in the group, so every match is going to be a test. The US is always a tough team to beat, and for my family (my dad’s Colombian, I grew up in the states), it will be a tough strain of allegiances. I think Costa Rica could give the most trouble though. People underestimated them in the last World Cup, and then they went and made the quarter-finals. People don’t give them enough respect, so I think Colombia vs. Costa Rica could be most intriguing match of this group.
If you enjoyed this as much as we did, make sure to follow Gabriel on Twitter @Champagne_Gabi.
Colombian Player to Watch: Juan Cuadrado (Chelsea… though he just completed a good loan season with Juventus)
This spring-haired winger has been more or less tearing up Italy’s Serie A for different clubs for the past five or six years. So what’s the latest? This season he proved the recently unemployed but quickly employed again Jose Mourinho wrong; using a loan season at Juventus to win the Italian double, and silence the myopic doubters that erroneously branded him a “Chelsea flop.” And while this position of being caught between super clubs leaves his fall and winter in doubt, we know just what to expect from Cuadrado in this summer’s Copa.
His superstar teammate James Rodriguez will likely hog the headlines in the lead-up to the match, but Cuadrado is not-so-quietly just as important to Los Cafeteros’ efforts. He’s one of very few international wingers who runs his team’s attack like a central midfielder. If you watched Colombia in the 2014 World Cup and/or last summer’s Copa América you know what I mean. The ball goes through Cuadrado all the time. And while he can cut in and attack goal himself, he’s more likely to continue to look to distribute in the final third. Unlike more celebrated wide players like Ronaldo, Bale, or Eden Hazard, Cuadrado is an elite TRADITIONAL winger. He’s got the dribble, the pinpoint passing, and a shot consistently accurate enough to keep opposing keepers honest. Combine that skill-set with the willingness to use his considerable speed to track back and defend and you’ve got soccer’s version of five-tool guy on the baseball diamond. Cuadrado actually shares many attributes with his follicular football soul mate, Mexico’s once and future captain Andrés Guardado. Together they team with Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to form “Curls of Wisdom,” a great bar trivia team or maybe a capella singing trio… you decide.
Is this tournament Michael’s turn? Will his manager allow that?
American Player to Watch: Michael Bradley (Toronto FC)
From one perspective, Michael Bradley is the Yanks’ most known quantity. Steady as hell. After all, he’s MB90. But take a step back, and you realize this tournament could be a tipping point for Michael’s immediate future, the rest of his club career, and his legacy with the national team.
How did America’s best center mid get to this possible pivot point in his career? Why is he on the precipice of a new phase at 28 years old? And how might his performance in this Colombia match serve as a barometer for his future while helping the US get a result? The answers to all these questions might be found in the next paragraph. Or maybe the next graph is an ad for our new sponsors. Read on to find out!
Michael Bradley’s been one of America’s very best since the summer of 2009, truly cementing that status with a worldwide audience in the 2010 World Cup. Then his dad lost the USMNT managerial job, Jurgen Klinsmann came in, and Michael continued to progress as a ball handler and a ball mover. It’s no surprise. He was coming into his prime, and supplementing his Eredivisie and Bundesliga experience with a star performance for Chievo Verona in Italy’s Serie A. That cultured midfield display bought Bradley his big club transfer to AS Roma. And while he was hard at work winning starts for the Giallorossi, MB90 put together his best run for the rossi, bianchi, and azzurri.
From early 2013 straight through to the summer of 2014 Bradley flashed the tactical leadership for the US that earned him the nickname Generalissimo in the Eternal City. But Bradley’s performance slipped in the 2014 World Cup, and that dip in form followed him (and the team) into the 2015 Gold Cup and beyond. Some attribute this swoon to a career downshift brought on by his less than ambitious January 2014 move to Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC. But the more commonly cited cause of Michael’s problems lies in his national team deployment. In a pre-World Cup exhibition versus Mexico in 2014, Jurgen Klinsmann tested the old soccer idiom stating the more skilled the player, the further forward he should play (interesting that Klinzy doesn’t apply this theory to Fabian Johnson often enough). Bradley’s great performance storming toward El Tri’s penalty area in that match would be his undoing. One performance doesn’t change a player’s identity, and Bradley’s seemingly been caught between his attacking midfield positioning and his natural tendency to track back and pick up the ball ever since. But it looks like this tournament will be different.
Prediction: USA 1 – 3 Colombia
Colombia on US soil for the biggest tournament hosted here since the 94 World Cup. Of course in that pivotal moment for US Soccer they scored one of the most important wins in program history by beating Colombia’s golden generation in group play. So this is a good time to plug The Two Escobars. Required viewing this week, whether you’ve seen it already or not.
I have reasons for realistic hope in this match, but I’m going to need to see the team put in that performance before I believe it. Sadly I think Colombia tests the new US defensive bonds often enough to find some cracks and fit the soccer ball through them. This USMNT will score though, so don’t go crying into your beer if they’re down a goal early. Do be prepared for James or Cuadrado to score from distance and kill the comeback effort though.
Enjoy the match, and Go USA!
Jon Levy and Neil W. Blackmon co-Founded The Yanks Are Coming. Follow them on Twitter @TYAC_Jon and @nwblackmon. Gabriel Luis Manga is a writer based in New York City. In the past his work has been featured in The Guardian, Howler, and Al Jazeera amongst other outlets. Follow him on twitter @Champagne_Gabi.