Football News Update: James Rodriguez Shines for Colombia in Copa America
The 2024 Copa America has seen the return of James Rodriguez to the international stage, and the former Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Everton star is making a significant impact for Colombia.
Despite his recent spells out of the limelight with Al Rayyan, Olympiacos, and now with Sao Paulo, Rodriguez has once again proven his mettle in a major international tournament. Colombia has now reached the semi-final stage of the Copa America after a dominant 5-0 victory over Panama in the quarter-finals.
Rodriguez scored a penalty and provided two assists in the match. His first contribution was a delightful corner that was headed home by Jhon Cordoba after just 8 minutes. With 15 minutes gone, he then dispatched an excellent penalty after Jhon Arias had been fouled in the box. Rodriguez then set up Liverpool star Luis Diaz with a superbly executed quick free-kick, and Diaz lobbed the stranded Panamanian goalkeeper to put Colombia 3-0 up by half-time.
Some have claimed that Rodriguez has been the best player at the Copa America so far, but the man himself remained coy when asked about it, saying, “There’s still a lot of time. There’s two games left with what we want to achieve and all I want to do is win, so there’s a lot left.”
Prior to the draw with Brazil, Colombia manager Nestor Lorenzo praised Rodriguez, saying, “Now he runs a little less, but he thinks a little more. It’s good for him. He’s well surrounded, and that’s what’s making him play well.”
Rodriguez burst onto the international scene at the 2014 World Cup, where he scored one of the goals of the tournament and notched another five times to win the Golden Boot. He will be looking to add to his legacy in the upcoming semi-final and potentially the final of the Copa America.
Football fans can look forward to more thrilling action from the Copa America, as well as other major competitions like the Euro 2024, Champions League, FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, and Africa Cup of Nations. talkSPORT is providing live commentary of every game at Euro 2024, so be sure to tune in via the website or the app, and follow the latest news, views, and reaction on the talkSPORT live Euro 2024 blog.
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