By Sergio Silva
15 Jul 2024, 14:56 PM EDT
Although the fall of the Colombian National Team in the final of the Copa América United States 2024 at the hands of Argentina (1-0)Coach Néstor Lorenzo not only praised his rival but also expressed confidence that this is just the beginning of a great stage for the Colombian team.
The Argentine coach, who has been responsible for the drastic change in the Colombian team, which this Sunday in Miami saw its impressive unbeaten streak of 28 matches come to an end, assured that beyond the result, not everything was negative in the match against the Albiceleste.
“Learning comes from experiencing a final. Of the two, there is one that is marking an era, it is no longer a coincidence, and before that he lost two Copa America finals and a World Cup final. In seven years of Scaloni, there has been a spectacular process, it is not a streak, it is an era and we have just begun.”said.
Regarding the match, Néstor Lorenzo acknowledged that although they did a good job during the first half, they could have been affected by the irregularities that occurred on Sunday in Miami, where the match started much later than scheduled and there was a longer break at halftime.
“We had a very good first half. Then there were some unusual situations; they warmed up twice, there was a 25-minute break and the tension is felt more by those with less experience and it took its toll on us. The other situation was that we wanted to have intensity and the referee didn’t allow it.”he acknowledged.
Lorenzo also took advantage of the press conference after the match to express his dissatisfaction with some aspects of the organization of the 2024 Copa América, specifically the refereeing, which he believes could have particularly affected them in the final against the Argentines.
“Argentina managed the timing better with the complicity of the referee (the Brazilian Raphael Claus). He caused time-outs when we were doing better”said the coach, who overall is satisfied with the performance of the Colombian team, which dazzled with its game in this competition.
“We were one of the teams that played the best, we were the protagonists, we tried to score from the front. We were charged for one mistake, but the boys did a great job, they gave it their all and I told them that they have to leave with their heads held high. We are sad, I understand them, but I want them to leave with their heads held high.”he finished.
Finally, Néstor Lorenzo made a special mention of the Colombian captain, James Rodríguez, who had a masterful performance in the tournament that earned him the title of Best Player of the 2024 Copa América.
“He played a lot of minutes. We didn’t think he would be able to last that long. We were constantly asking him how he felt and he gave it his all.”he sentenced.
Keep reading:
– Lionel Scaloni revealed the premonition he had that gave the Argentina National Team the title of champion in the Copa América United States 2024
– Chaos ahead of the 2024 Copa America final: Fans without tickets tried to sneak into Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium
– His list of achievements continues to grow: Lionel Messi wins the 2024 Copa América and adds the 45th title of his successful career