James Rodriguez, from start to finish. Colombia, the worthy finalist of the Copa America in the United States, where they meet Messi’s world champion Argentina (on Sunday, early Monday morning in Spain), still moves to the rhythm of their captain, who has already provided a record six assists throughout the tournament, the most recent this Wednesday for the hard-fought victory over Uruguay (1-0). Ten years after the World Cup in Brazil where he was crowned top scorer, the rejuvenated midfielder who turns 33 this Friday has gotten used to curing his sorrows with his national team, where he demonstrates, game by game, the validity of his left foot.
James can never be given up for dead. Outside the European spotlight, like Messi himself, no one remembers that he has only played a handful of games for São Paulo this year. He arrived on the pitch in the United States fresh and sharp. He is now accompanied in yellow by Luis Díaz, Colombia’s other great figure, the Liverpool winger with whom he exudes harmony. “From the moment I arrived in the national team, I have let James know that he has always been my idol,” said Lucho, five years younger, moved to tears, at the end of the semi-final against the Celeste, a real battle in which Colombia knew how to resist with one man less for the entire second half, after the expulsion of full-back Daniel Muñoz. “This is his Cup, without a doubt, we are seeing him at his best,” he praised the number ten.
It is an almost unanimous judgment: he has been the best player of the tournament so far. Before taking the corner kick for Jefferson Lerma’s header that decided the duel with the Uruguayans, James had already provided two assists in the debut against Paraguay (2-1), another in the rout of Costa Rica (3-0) and two more in the other quarter-final rout of Panama (5-0), a match in which he also scored from the penalty spot. He only failed to assist in the draw with Brazil (1-1), the last match of the group stage, in which, however, he was also a key figure. Those six assists are the record for a single edition of the Copa América since 2011, when the record was officially started, and surpass Messi’s five in 2021. Half of Colombia’s 12 goals came from his passes, and another was his. He is the soul of a team in a state of grace.
With the credo of taking it game by game, and even ball by ball, Néstor Lorenzo’s unbeatable Colombia is going through a sweet moment, undefeated in 25 games since the Argentine coach took over, two years ago. The gifted pupil of José Pekerman – whom he accompanied as an assistant in Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018 – straightened the course of a melancholic team that had just been left out of Qatar 2022. Now it is an offensive and supportive team, fiercely competitive, which is distinguished by pressing up high with intensity. With James back on track, they arrive at Sunday’s final in Miami with an enormous emotional boost to seek a title that they only won once, at home, in the 2001 edition. In front of them they have the current champion – of the world and of America – who has won it 15 times. An Everest.
James, all energy and joy when he plays in yellow, feels supported by a national team in which he has claimed his role every time he has had the opportunity. “I play here even with a limp,” he said in the United States, with a bruised shoulder, at the end of a match in the 2016 Copa America Centenario, the precursor to this edition. He had just scored the winning goal against Paraguay (2-1), after a season relegated to the bench at Real Madrid. The once precocious Colombian prodigy has accumulated goals and assists in a career that has since taken him to Bayern Munich in Germany, Everton in England, Al-Rayyan in Qatar, Olympiacos in Greece and now to Brazil, with an irregular performance. At his clubs, he has touched the sky and bit the dust. Beyond that journey, the 105 games that James has already played with his national team have given him a maturity that he now displays with aplomb on the pitch. Colombia’s number ten and captain has once again displayed the electrifying smile that became the hallmark of that World Cup in Brazil, and perhaps also, with a bit of luck, of this Copa América in the United States.
Fights in the stands and the grass in poor condition, controversies of the Cup
The world’s oldest soccer tournament has not been immune to controversy in its passage through the United States, in what has been widely interpreted as a sort of dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup — which it will host alongside Mexico and Canada. In the most recent controversy, several Uruguayan players, including Darwin Núñez (Liverpool), José María Giménez (Atletico Madrid) and Ronald Araújo (Barcelona), jumped into the stands to fight with Colombian fans at the end of the semifinal match between Uruguay and Colombia, played on Wednesday at the Bank of America Stadium, in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to Giménez, who complained about the lack of intervention by the authorities, they did so to defend their families, “who were in danger.” The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) condemned “the acts of violence in football,” without referring directly to the brawl.
The state of the grass in some stadiums has also caused discontent. “We have known for seven months that we are going to play here and they changed the grass two days ago. Today’s grass is not suitable for this type of player,” lamented Lionel Scaloni, Argentina’s coach, after the debut against Canada at the Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta. “The pitch was a disaster,” echoed the Argentine goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez. Lionel Messi, Colombian James Rodríguez and Brazilian Vinicius Jr. also aired their concerns at some point during the tournament about the grass in the stadiums that hosted the Copa América.
A third target of criticism of the organization has been the peculiar draw designed by Conmebol. Due to the draw, the championship had two parallel routes that allowed the Argentine team, the defending champion, to avoid the two groups with the most dangerous teams. While the Albiceleste faced Canada —on two occasions—, Chile, Peru and Ecuador on their way to the final, on the other side of the draw were powerful teams such as Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia.
You can follow EL PAÍS Sports on Facebook and Xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.
