Five months ago, Colombian fans were still optimistic.
After separating from a successful coach like Jose Pekerman, the appointment of a coach with a resume like Carlos Queiroz was something that filled them with hope, but this hope seems to be fading away.
More on that later. Before the 2019 Copa America, Colombia didn’t impress too much during the friendly matches. Still, in the tournament itself, the team played well, finished as the group winner with nine points, including a prestigious win over Argentina. They were eliminated by Chile on a penalty shoot-out but finished the tournament without conceding a single goal.
So what happened since? First of all, James Rodriguez. Colombia’s best player who showed once again in the Copa America how much he is valuable for the team, but then found himself once again in an unclear situation regarding his career. Going back to Real Madrid after he couldn’t find another club, forced Queiroz to avoid calling him for the friendly matches in September and October, so he would be able to adjust once again in Zidane’s squad. Colombia’s other key player, Radamel Falcao, also had difficulties in finding a club and when he did, he was injured shortly afterwards. It means that both of them haven't played for Colombia since the last Copa America match. And the results? Five games, a minimal win over Peru in the last minute, a 2-2 draw against Brazil, a humiliating 3-0 loss to Algeria and two scoreless draws against Chile and Venezuela. But beyond the results, it was the poor football that Colombia played.
Having his stars out because of problems that don’t concern him, is not the reason why the fans are upset with Queiroz. According to the last five or six matches, it seems that he doesn’t understand where he is. It’s no secret that Queiroz is a coach who prefers a defensive approach and we can tell it by the way Colombia plays defensively. But he also has to understand that what was right for Iran, is not suitable for Colombia. When he thinks first how not to concede and only then how to score, he damages the identity of Colombia. As I mentioned before, beyond the poor results, most of the matches Colombia didn’t create many chances, couldn’t control the game and the players looked lost on the pitch. The formation he uses, 4-3-3, may look offensive but is usually based on the explosive speed of the wingers and their crossing. So far, that leads nowhere. But when it didn’t work, he should’ve tried another formation and for some reason remained with the same boring football which is based on crosses. That doesn't suit Colombia.
In the last 30 years, Colombia always played with creative players in their lineup. It could be a classic “10” or an attacking midfielder. Still, they always had a player like Carlos Valderrama, Macnelly Torres or James Rodriguez who organizes the offensive part when the game is stuck. When James had his problems, and Juan Quintero was injured, Queiroz had to find another creative player, yet he didn’t. He ignored Edwin Cardona or Jarlan Barrera for example and preferred to build his midfield with physical players. Yes, Juan Cuadrado was one of them, but he is not the player to organize the team. There’s no coincidence, without a creative player, Colombia looks lost in most of their matches.
Another mistake by the Portuguese was his intention to play with four in the back when all of them are centre backs. It started in the Copa America, and since Colombia didn’t concede, he stayed with them, but it simply doesn’t work. Playing with Stefan Medina on the right flank and William Tesillo on the left is useful if you want to take a defensive approach, but none of them has decent offensive skills. When Colombia played their best football under Pekerman, it was when they had support from both flanks with players like Cristian Zuñiga and Pablo Armero in their top form. When Queiroz prefers players who can't support offensively, it shows.
On Tuesday, Colombia will face Ecuador in their last friendly match before their real missions start. First, the beginning of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in March and then the 2020 Copa America which Colombia will host. If they don't improve drastically, many questions will be asked regarding the ability of Queiroz to lead a strong national team like Colombia. Right now, Queiroz is being attacked by fans and media regarding the performances, and a failure in these missions will make it almost impossible for him to keep the job.
What’s the deal, Adidas?
Against Ecuador, Colombia will also debut their new away uniform, which is being harshly criticized by the fans. The color and concept look good, but the military-style design looks terrible, in my opinion. The current home uniform is also one of the least favourites among the fans, while many of them called in the social networks to switch from Adidas to another sponsor. Colombian fans are among the highest purchasers of national team shirts, and according to the comments, it looks like Adidas will have a significant decrease in selling these new designs. Adidas is the sponsor since 2011, but besides two or three beautiful designs, most of them weren’t a huge success. Perhaps the weak form is not only Queiroz’s fault?