The Colombian national team had a very good year in 2024. Under the leadership of Néstor Lorenzo, the team played 16 matches, winning 10, drawing two and losing four. Two of those losses came in their recent qualifiers at the end of the year.
Colombia deserved better in the matches they lost. Against Ecuador, for example, they had 25 shots at the Andean team’s goal, while their opponents had only four attempts. However, Ecuador managed to score. These situations led to the loss of “important” points for the Habs, which could have guaranteed them a direct place in the World Cup.
“Today’s balance is not positive in terms of points won. However, we created a lot of chances but failed to convert. Football has this special nature. However, let’s not think that we are the worst for not getting points in this double round of qualifying,” said coach Lorenzo in the post-match press conference.
However, the coach stressed the importance of this year for the national team process. And he’s right. In 2024, they reached the Copa América final for the first time in over two decades. They also secured significant victories against teams like Spain and Argentina.
“Overall, it’s been a good year. The team showed progress. In these last matches, we lacked the finishing touch. We created well and played like we always do,” added the Colombian coach.
Regarding Ecuador’s goal, Lorenzo said: “There is never a good time to concede a goal. The one against Uruguay was an exceptional moment because it was decisive. The last seconds were difficult. Today’s goal was the result of an isolated one-touch action on our part, and it was a great strike. We can’t imagine that blocking him would have prevented the goal. It was an action that initially did not seem dangerous. Then we tried to equalize. We deserved a draw. Then the match was ours to continue. We need to work on the emotional aspect. We know that the champion of a tournament is the one who defends the best. We took risks. Ultimately, we focus on whatever we can control. Emotional intelligence is about regaining confidence and not believing that we are the worst just because we leave these games empty-handed. We must be fair in assessing how the match went.
The Colombian coach concluded with an analysis of the qualifications: “The process was going quite well. Although it is never good to lose, it is a moment that allows us to reflect on certain aspects.
