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Before a ball was kicked at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, many pundits were tipping Colombia to surprise a few people, while others effectively ruled out Los Cafeteros as contenders after star striker Radamel Falcao had been ruled through injury.
Colombia hadn’t made a World Cup since France 1998 when Carlos Valderrama was still at his dazzling best, and their only international achievement to date had been when they lifted the 2001 Copa America on home soil.
Arguably South America’s biggest underachievers along with Chile, Colombia’s attractive brand of football saw them breeze past the group stages in Brazil, defeating Greece, the Ivory Coast and Japan and winning many fans along the way.
Los Cafeteros then saw off fellow South American side Uruguay 2-0 in the round of 16, a game that will forever be remembered for eventual Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez’s astonishingly brilliant volley. The Colombians eventually bowed out of the competition after succumbing 2-1 to Brazil, but James and Juan Guillermo Cuadrado still finished the tournament as top scorer and assist leader respectively.
The team were given a warm welcome home by tens of thousands of Colombians on the streets, after the team finally exorcised the demons from USA 1994 and the tragic assassination of AC Milan-bound captain Andres Escobar. Domestically, Colombian football is not as strong as it once was, primarily because billionaire drug lords such as Pablo Escobar aren’t around anymore to help keep the top players staying with astronomical wages.
Pablo Escobar’s 1989 Copa Libertadores champions Atletico Nacional (who also featured Andres Escobar) featured most of the Colombian national team of the late 1980s and early ’90s. Today, Atletico Nacional has helped nurture the talents of current stars such as FC Porto’s Juan Fernando Quintero, and Colombia’s footballing talent is finally being noticed on the world stage, as was evident at this year’s World Cup.
Los Cafeteros will undoubtedly be one of the favourites for next year’s Copa America in Chile, in what promises to be one of the most exciting editions of the tournament in recent memory. When Colombia recently placed fourth in the FIFA World Rankings, many onlookers unfamiliar with the Colombians looked at the rankings and scoffed.
But this is arguably Colombia’s best generation of footballers, even greater than the incredibly gifted side of the early ’90s – a team that trounced Argentina 5-0 in their own backyard in September 1993.
The names of Carlos ‘El Pibe’ Valderrama, Tino Asprilla, Leonel Alvarez and Fredy Rincon have now been replaced by players such as James, Cuadrado, Falcao and Quintero. The only player to be part of both golden generations, goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, finally hung up his gloves after breaking Roger Milla’s record as the oldest player to take to the field at the World Cup finals.
Mondragon has been replaced by David Ospina, who was one of the most impressive keepers at the World Cup and earned himself a transfer to Premier League giants Arsenal at the end of the tournament.
Los Cafeteros‘ defence boasts a wonderful blend of pace and strength, featuring AC Milan’s Cristian Zapata as the Colombian back line’s leader now the ageless Mario Yepes has finally departed. Experienced fullbacks Pablo Armero and Juan Camilo Zuniga, as well as talented young PSV defender Santiago Arias, ensure that Los Cafeteros will continue to stay sturdy at the back for years to come.
Colombia’s midfield is what really excites most fans, however. In Cuadrado, Colombia boast one of the trickiest and quickest wingers in world football, and Inter Milan’s powerful midfield general Fredy Guarin has been the backbone of the Colombian engine room in recent years. Colombia’s two number 10s however, James and Quintero, are arguably the team’s most key players, and James has already catapulted himself to the top of world football after becoming Real Madrid’s latest Galactico signing.
Both James and Quintero have tremendous vision, a blistering left foot shot, phenomenal dribbling ability and both have also enjoyed similar career paths. However, the most noticeable difference between the two is their style. James is more of an attacking wide player as opposed to Quintero – frequently compared to Argentinian legend Juan Roman Riquelme – who often plays deeper and more centrally. Both players have the potential to be among the best players on the planet.
Los Cafeteros also have the talent up the top of the pitch to make the most out of the team’s incredible wealth of creative talent. Manchester United loanee Falcao is one of the deadliest strikers of the past decade and has scored for fun wherever he has played. The former Atletico Madrid talisman missed the World Cup through injury, but still has a few good years ahead of him and will continue to cement his reputation as one of South America’s finest strikers.
Powerful FC Porto frontman Jackson Martinez and River Plate’s Teofilo Gutierrez give Los Cafeteros frontline depth and all three strikers are more than capable of finishing off the endless stream of chances the Colombians create.
This year has finally seen the world sit up and take notice of the Colombian national team once again. With legendary Argentinian trainer Jose Pekerman remaining at the helm, this Colombia team is more than capable of competing with sides such as Argentina, Brazil and current world champions Germany.
Some will argue that Colombia should have met Germany in the semis of the World Cup and not Brazil, but if Los Cafeteros lift only their second Copa America come July next year, they will have finally cemented their status as one of the world’s best footballing nations – 20 years after they should have already achieved just that.
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