Queiroz insists: more of the same

[Akrapovic]

Again without James, Falcao, Arias or a ‘10’. Ibargüen, the stick. Try more alternates.

There is no official confirmation of the reasons for the repeated absences of James, Falcao and Santiago Arias in the call of the Colombian National Team that on Tuesday announced the Colombian Football Federation for the next friendlies against Chile (Alicante, Spain, Saturday 12) and Algeria (Lille, France, Tuesday 15).

Press releases on both sides of the Atlantic state that James Rodríguez has a blow to the head of the fibula (it is not known which leg) that on Tuesday prevented him from playing in the 2-2 of Real Madrid against Bruges in the Champions League , and that would have made Carlos Queiroz, the national coach, and the player agree his new absence to favor his presence in the club.

James was not part of last month's call for friendlies against Brazil and Chile, nor were the now also absent Falcao and Santiago Arias.
And in the end, they did call Nicolás Benedetti to the National Team
Falcao went blank again: Galatasaray lost 0-1 with PSG
With Arias the whole match, Atlético de Madrid beat Lokomotiv 0-2
Except for James and Falcao, Queiroz explained his call


Queiroz, who is in Europe, sent a video message that did not explain these absences. Falcao just arrives at the Turkish Galatasaray, was a starter in the defeat against the PSG and still does not score or play well. Arias, on the other hand, also started with Atlético de Madrid, yesterday, who beat Lokomotiv of Moscow 0-2, but is not fixed in his team.

Specific facts on the list: substitute goalkeeper Camilo Vargas returns, replacing Álvaro Montero, who was provisionally suspended two months for doping (with Tolima, in the local League).

The DT insists on his commitment to Stefan Medina and William Tesillo as laterals, positions they have held for years in Mexico and that alternate with their "natural" position of central defenders. However, it included as a novelty among the defenders Johan Mojica, who was headline in the Munail of Russia. He lost the post Cristian Borja.

The stick of the call was the end Andres Ibargüen, of the America of Mexico, included like steering wheel. Despite having very different game characteristics, he took Jorman Campuzano from the list of midfielders, compared to the previous one.

By the way: why pre-select 37 players and finally call another one that wasn't in it? Ibargüen was not! One of three: either the list was wrong or it should have been more numerous or unnecessary. Queiroz explained in his video that Ibargüen was not in the preselection for an injury, but that he recovered and that's why he called him. If so, it should have been included in that preselection and if it did not arrive, it was not called.

And in the attack, he continues to do substitute rehearsals: for Orlando Berrio and Rafael Santos Borré, of bad presentation against Venezuela, there are Luis Sinisterra (of the Under-20, as was last time Johan Carbonero) and the effective gunner of the Scottish Rangers , Alfredo Morelos.

If the currency fell on the seal for Berrio and Santos Borré, it landed in the face of Yairo Moreno, the flyer that repeats the call and passed the test against Venezuela.

Again there is no ‘10’, a game owner, ball holder and goal pass. Without James or Juan Fernando Quintero (who is barely receiving medical discharge after another six months of leave due to a broken knee ligament), Edwin Cardona is still erased and a possible candidate, for example, Jarlan Barrera does not appear on the map of the DT.

Thus, Queiroz sends a repeated message again: he supports the basic group of the last Copa América. It has a clear headline, as well as a first group of substitutes defined for its 4-3-3 scheme.

In other words, Queiroz gives more of the same. In football, and more at the beginning of what they call "processes", that more of the same is interpreted as consolidating a group and a game idea.