Football News: Colombia Aim for Copa América Glory with James Rodríguez in Scintillating Form
Cast your mind back to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where Colombia’s James Rodríguez stole the show in the last 16 match against Uruguay. Rodríguez scored both goals in Colombia’s 2-0 victory, with the first goal being voted the goal of the tournament and going on to win the Puskás Award. Since then, the teams have met six times, with Uruguay holding the upper hand, winning all but one of those encounters.
However, something feels ominous for Uruguay in this Copa América semi-final clash. The main reason for this is the scintillating form of Rodríguez, who is playing at the same level he reached in 2014, when his performances at the World Cup earned him a £63m move from Monaco to Real Madrid, making him the fourth most expensive footballer in history.
Rodríguez’s Renaissance
Rodríguez’s renaissance this year is giving Colombia a good chance of reaching their third Copa América final. The 32-year-old has been the creator-in-chief for Colombia, completing 170 passes – more than any other forward in the tournament. He has also made 35 successful long passes, second only to Brazil defender Marquinhos.
In the quarter-final against Panama, Rodríguez showcased his quality, setting up the first goal with a perfectly placed corner, scoring the second with a powerful penalty kick, and catching the Panama defense off guard with a quickly taken free-kick to Luis Díaz, who lobbed the goalkeeper to put Colombia 3-0 up.
“Rodríguez has five assists at the tournament – more than any other player. He also ranks top for goal involvements (six) and key passes (14).”
Despite Colombia’s success from set pieces, with seven of their 11 goals coming from set pieces, Rodríguez’s distribution has been crucial, as he provides inch-perfect deliveries that the opposition struggles to deal with.
Opportunity for Glory
The semi-final against Uruguay at the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina presents a huge opportunity for Colombia. They are unbeaten in 27 games and their captain, Rodríguez, is in scintillating form. Colombia have only won the Copa América once in their history, 23 years ago on home soil, and they will be eager to add a second title to their trophy cabinet. With Rodríguez throwing it back to 2014, a second Copa América could be within Colombia’s grasp.
🔗 Source