The coach of the Colombian national team was critical of himself after the defeat in Barranquilla. He highlighted an overall positive 2024 and the players who have joined the team.
“I am very upset, but now we have to accept a little bit of this bitter pill and move forward,” Néstor Lorenzo said in the press conference after Colombia’s defeat against Ecuador in Barranquilla, marking the first defeat of his mandate at the Metropolitano. The national team concluded a disappointing double confrontation without winning a single point, falling from second to fourth place in the standings.
The coach visibly expressed his frustration with this fourth defeat of the campaign, especially after creating numerous scoring chances without converting any. He stressed the need to improve to avoid early goals that force the team to chase the score, while expressing satisfaction with the team’s overall performance and the process he led. He managed 32 matches, with 21 wins, 7 draws and 4 defeats.
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On the disappointment of the defeat: “I’m not satisfied, especially because the goal was avoidable. It was a very good move, but we could have blocked it before it became a scoring opportunity. team rallied and pushed to equalize, but unfortunately we couldn’t get it done. The attitude and effort was there, but I’m saddened by the result.”
On the outlook for 2024: “It’s been a good year. The team has shown growth and maturity. In these last two games we missed critical goals, but we played like we always do This is a moment in the process that leaves us thinking for a long time and feeling angry for a long time. We want to analyze and implement changes that will allow us to prevent such outcomes.
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On feeling calm about the number of chances created: “There is no calm; if we had completely missed those chances we would have said it was our fault. We created a lot of chances and just couldn’t score because their goalie was outstanding. The defense handled a lot of potential threats well.”
On mental toughness going forward: “Today’s game wasn’t defined by that goal; it was an isolated action of a lateral throw-in, a loss of possession. We can’t always anticipate that a block or a foul would prevent a goal The action did not seem dangerous at first, but such things happen. We had plenty of time to recover. The game was largely ours; victory from all angles, but it just didn’t happen. We still have to work on the emotional aspect. I believe we are a balanced team that takes a lot of risks, aiming to impose our style Despite all this. , we have to be fair in our assessment of the flow of the match, the scoring chances and our overall play. I wouldn’t have been so worried if the performances had been poor and we had lost unfairly.
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Reflecting on the qualifying process: “The campaign was too smooth, on track in terms of results. We were the last team to lose, and although losing is never good, it gives us time to address some aspects so as not to feel like an innocent team in certain situations No team has dominated us in the defeats we have suffered, but it is demoralizing when you feel that you deserve more and still walk away with your hands. We have time to correct the details that lead to conceded goals. We must focus on avoiding goals that allow opponents to tighten their defense and leave us empty-handed. complaints; the process is going well. We are making changes, and I am happy with Gómez, Portilla and Puerta. We are developing a strong and competitive group, and I still have faith in this process in the future. there are four months before the next match; I’m very upset, but now we have to swallow this bitter pill and move on.”
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Regarding James Rodríguez’s performance: “James had a great game; I think he played very well. The numerical superiority allowed us to use a player of his caliber, even if he didn’t have to running a lot We played most of the second half in their territory, and James is our most precise player. I’m happy with James’ game as long as he was in shape to play in this area; field, I kept it until the end, with Lucho Díaz and Juan Portilla.”
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