There’s less to go. And while for the Colombian National Team players there is some anxiety about the debut in the 2026 World Cup, for the coaching staff the deadline could be even longer since there are always unresolved details that would require even more training sessions.
One of those issues involves the starting center forward, an issue that has not yet been fully clarified for the fans, Well, Néstor Lorenzo has changed so little and has given so many signs of confidence in those he calls that surely, when the time comes to get the ball rolling at the Azteca stadium, next June 17 against Uzbekistan, there will be no surprises.
READ ALSO
The good news, with only three days left of training ahead of the first match in the World Cup, is that the acclaimed starting forward, Luis Javier Suárez, He is healthy, available and motivated as he has just scored one of the goals in the 3-1 victory against Costa Rica, in the team’s farewell, a friendly that basically served as a confidence booster. Samarium has not had a discussion even in those matches on the fateful Fifa date against Croatia and France, in which, like the entire squad, he was greatly outmatched.
Luis Javier Suarez Photo:EFE
Now, when key competition arrives, even less so. And it’s good because, in light of the statistics, no one matches his performance. Just comparing seasons in the leagues, he has 32 appearances in the season with Sporting de Portugal, with 28 goals and 6 assists.
His data exceeds expectations as he scores once every 96 minutes, registers 4.3 total shots per game and in no case was he below 7 rating points, according to Sofascore.
Jhon Córdoba, between cottons
Jhon Córdoba, in Krasnodar Photo:@FCKrasnodar
Behind him is Jhon Córdoba, the coach’s trusted player, with 28 games, 17 goals, 6 assists, 3.2 total shots per game and a goal every 146 minutes. In Krasnodar it never disappoints.
However, in the Colombian National Team his effectiveness in front of goal has not been so decisive. And right now, when he was expected to counterbalance Suárez’s ownership, against teams with very strong physical defenses like Uzbekistan and Congo, he could make the difference.
The issue is that he arrived at the training camp in Bogotá with a muscle injury and that it has forced him to remain in treatment all these days, which finally ended last Thursday, with his first full training session with the group.
It is true that he has nothing to prove because having been in most of Lorenzo’s cycle allows him these licenses, but it is also true that just a few days before his debut, he is barely close to being competitive and in a World Cup it can be a dangerous advantage.
Cucho Hernández, also with doubts
In the case of Juan Camilo ‘Cucho’ Hernández, number 3 on Lorenzo’s list, the numbers say that he has 32 commitments, 11 goals and 3 assists, requires 236 minutes to score and his ratings have been below 7 points on several occasions at Real Betis.
Cucho Hernández, goal with Betis Photo:AFP
That is the issue with ‘Cucho’, one of the great novelties in the list of 26 summoned. He is a good striker but not necessarily a scorer, one who will be a guarantee when a crisis situation appears in the competition.
It doesn’t mean that he can’t be, it’s just that on the occasions he has had the opportunity to wear the yellow shirt, he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. It was a friendly match, years ago during Arturo Reyes’ interim tenure, who scored a double and left no doubt. In the cycle Lorenzo had several opportunities and did not consolidate and that is why he was left out of the calls several times. A World Cup seems like the ideal revenge. But it is also true that the demand is such that it can work against you.
In addition, Hernández gave a scare in the last few hours during training, in which he suffered a harsh tackle during a dispute for a ball and had to spend several minutes lying down before the doctors helped him recover.
Obviously he was not going to give an advantage, since he knows that Kevin Viveros is blocked on the pre-list, who also has his own thing when it comes to a possible change in the list due to injury. Just in case, the Atlético Paranaense player has 17 games, 11 goals, scores one every 138 minutes and adds 2.8 shots per game.
When reviewing the numbers of Colombia’s 9, a detail may have gone unnoticed, but in reality it seems to be a trend.
All of the team’s center forwards are very effective at finishing with the right leg and are much weaker with the left and when finishing with the head.
Suárez scored 18 goals with his right, only 7 with his left and just 2 with his head with Sporting in the Portuguese league.
Córdoba scored 12 times with his right, 1 with his left and 4 with his head, being the most effective in the offensive aerial game among all possible number 9s.
In turn, Hernández made 9 with his right, 1 with his left and 1 with his head, obviously his weakness is from above, although with space he does not do badly.
Viveros, in case of emergency, has 10 with his right, 1 with his left and none with his head. Eye to detail.
It may not be a conclusive issue but it marks a trend in the way our team profiles and can give a clue to rival defenders, who will take note when blocking their right-footed shot attempts, which will take away the effectiveness and surprise of the national attack.
In the end, as Lorenzo said, everything generates nervousness when the debut approaches and it is normal for players to take care of themselves so as not to risk their participation in the World Cup.
That may explain why we have not seen the full potential of the attackers called up. In Mexico City, with the altitude added to the difficulty, they must give their best image.
Jenny Gamez
Sports Editor
@JennyGamezA
