Colombia. Falcao, Colombia’s all-time top scorer, scored his second goal with Millonarios, but Aristizábal “made a fuss”.
On Day 11 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Colombian national team was leading Uruguay 0-1 when, in the space of a few minutes, two Charrúas goals changed the course of the match. In one of the last actions, just when the equalizer at 2-2 seemed to be a saving grace for Néstor Lorenzo’s men, a heavy blow was dealt with the final score 3-2.
Lorenzo’s tactics looked solid, even with James Rodríguez on the bench, who was later revealed to be injured, preventing a full capacity performance. Juan Fernando Quintero took his place and scored a superb goal to give the team the lead. However, in the second half, an own goal from Davinson Sánchez followed by a second goal from the hosts completely turned the situation around, negating all their previous efforts.
After the match, Lorenzo’s management was less than ideal, including the inclusion of a half-recovered James as substitutes Rafael Santos Borré and Carlos Andrés Gómez failed to make an impact. In a desperate move, Yerry Mina was brought in as a striker, and although Gómez managed to equalize amid the confusion of a VAR check, the Colombian defense failed to stay alert, leading to Manuel Ugarte’s strike at 3-2, reflecting the team’s struggles throughout the second half.
In the post-match press conference, as well as revealing that James had played despite his reduced physical condition at his own request, Lorenzo assessed the match: “A very close and contested match; At times we played well and held the lead through possession. However, at certain times, we lost key duels which were costly, especially for the goals conceded. » His remarks seemed to reflect the disappointment of a coach faced with a heavy defeat. However, other explanations began to emerge, sparking comment.
“Uruguay has very talented players who ask a lot; It’s not that the mistakes were purely accidental, they were forced by their movements and aggression. I think there was a bit of deflection and pushing on all three goals; they weren’t perfectly constructed, and one of them was an own goal. But we knew it would happen this way because their strikers are very powerful and pose a threat on the wings with good crosses,” although he did not comment on the refereeing, it appeared to be a superficial excuse referring to the physicality of ‘The Celeste’.
Lorenzo’s responses continued to display obvious frustration regarding the manner of the defeat, leading him to emphasize the need to rewatch the video to better understand the last action: “It is logical to feel frustration and guilt because of the way the goals were conceded. But then the team reacted, trying to regain their style of play and equalize. What happened at the end was really frustrating, losing like that. »
However, Lorenzo did not want to accept the idea of innocence or naivety on the part of his players and insinuated that those who participated for ‘La Tricolor’ felt affected by the physical play of the opponent, citing players from Premier League like Daniel Muñoz, Gustavo Puerta, Jhon Jader Durán and Luis Díaz: “You can see it that way. I know what it’s like when you go to the ball and get pushed or shoved. For our players from Europe, football in South America presents a different challenge. Premier League players come here, and they struggle… We knew Uruguay played that way and stepped up their physical game during those crucial moments. »
He went on to lament, “These errors were forced by their movements and frictions. I believe all three goals had deflections or pushes; they were not clear… For our players, the game in South America is different. Players coming from the Premier League find it difficult here. »
He was somewhat unclear on how to interpret the Argentine coach’s comments when addressing the question of naivety regarding the goals conceded, since only Santiago Bueno, Manuel Ugarte and Darwin Núñez, the latter two having contributed during the match, play in the Premier League.
In the final question regarding the alleged provocations at the end of the match, recalling past controversies between these teams that caused scandals during the 2024 Copa América semi-finals, it seemed that Lorenzo would maintain his stance of avoidance: “I I’m not going to dwell on that. But we are in South America; after they scored, there was almost no more play,” although his frustration persisted, pointing the finger at Peruvian referee Kevin Ortega.
“The referees let everything go. This was somewhat discouraging for me; everyone knows that if a player is injured, he must be immediately called off the field. If he is injured alone or the offender was not warned, that is a problem. This happened two or three times: five or six minutes pass and they are not removed from the field,” he continued his criticism, also denouncing the intrusion of the Uruguayan medical team to occupying players on the field: “The referee must demonstrate authority; he has to insist, ‘No, take them out and treat them outside, then let them come back.’ Like they did with us when Mojica had to come out. But no, it’s really discouraging, the truth. The pace of play in the second half was different.
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We are in South America; since the goals were scored, no more football has been played… Everyone knows that an injured player must be taken care of off the field… The referee must have authority.
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