Miami Gardens, full of a huge Colombian diaspora, was bouncing last Saturday night when Colombia got the better of Portugal in a game that served as an exhilarating spectacle even though it ended goalless.
There was not a great deal at stake. After wins over Uzbekistan and Congo DR, Colombia had already booked their place in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup.
Losing to Portugal would have sent them to Toronto to face Croatia, while anything else would set up a clash with Ghana in Kansas City. Option No. 2 was preferable, but sufficiently so to take the risk of playing at full strength and going all out?
It certainly was — for reasons to be found in the last two years, and the previous three months, of the Colombia side.
Under Argentine coach Néstor Lorenzo, they went on a long unbeaten run, which ended in July 2024 in that very same stadium in Miami Gardens, when, after extra time, they lost 1-0 to Argentina in the final of the Copa América.
Some defeats can be shrugged off, while others leave a stain. This one seemed to shake their self-belief. Colombia were not the same side when World Cup qualification resumed.
They suffered four defeats in five games and went six without a win, bringing back awful memories of a stunning collapse in the previous campaign that saw them fail to reach Qatar four years ago. This time, though, they sealed their place with wins over Bolivia and Venezuela in the last two rounds. But the doubts remained and were to grow far bigger in the international friendly dates at the end of March.
In a rare chance to face European opposition, they first lost 2-1 to Croatia. This was not a huge problem as the game could have gone either way, and the performance was by no means a disaster, but then came France. A few days earlier, France had beaten Brazil. So now they put out the reserves to face Colombia, and the game turned into a disaster as they lost 3-1.
France were three goals up soon after halftime, and it could easily have been seven or eight. Colombia pulled back a consolation goal, but Lorenzo limped away from the occasion well aware that his side had been comprehensively outplayed, and that he had work to do going into the World Cup.
There was a key question: was his main idea still viable? He had constructed a team that had spent three years using the same model of play. Could he still use it in the World Cup?
Luis Díaz, of course, would be attacking from the left flank. Next to him, there would be a central striker, either Luis Suárez or Jhon Córdoba and then there was James Rodríguez, the veteran playmaker.
The breakout star of the 2014 World Cup, Rodríguez joined Real Madrid for €75 million after the tournament — and embarked on a still unbroken phase of his club career which has largely consisted of ever-decreasing circles and ever-growing frustration.
Minnesota United is merely the latest in a long line of clubs where he has failed to live up to expectations and rarely been seen in action. But through it all, he has remained key to Lorenzo’s plans. His link-up with Díaz is probably the team’s sharpest attacking weapon, second to his superbly delivered set pieces.
But fielding two strikers and a veteran playmaker inevitably puts a massive strain on the rest of the side, and in particular the midfield trio of Jefferson Lerma, Richard Ríos and Jhon Arias. Against the France reserves, they were absolutely outplayed.
Lorenzo, then, was left with a choice. Either, in next to no time, he would have to rethink the whole structure of his side. Or, he would need to come up with a few adjustments to make his original idea viable and this is why the Portugal game was so important.
Colombia opened up its World Cup campaign with a win over Uzbekistan. The performance was ordinary, but the opponents were weak, and although there was criticism from the domestic press, starting with three points eased the pressure and boosted morale.
Then came a storming start against Congo DR, followed by a more balanced conclusion, with another win and another three points. But now came the test. Portugal would be the first elite-level side Colombia had met since France, with a highly skilled midfield well able to pass holes in a badly organized opponent.
Colombia needed to prove to themselves, as well as their raucous traveling army in the stadium, that their system did not leave them too open against this level of opposition. And after clearly having the better of the action, Lorenzo had every reason to be cheerful.
What had he done? Firstly, Rodríguez needed to work harder without the ball. Argentina can afford to have Lionel Messi spend some of the game wandering around, head bowed as if he is looking for his wedding ring; Colombia cannot allow Rodríguez the same privilege. It means that he is very unlikely to last the full 90 minutes. He was withdrawn between the 57th and 75th minute mark in all three group games.
But Colombia have options. So far, it has been Juan Fernando Quintero if they want a like-for-like left-footed playmaker; Jaminton Campaz if the option is for pace on the counterattack. Others are available. Replacing the team captain in the second half is not causing the slightest controversy. Coach and player appear to agree that this is in the best interests of the team.
And there has been a change in the midfield trio, where the extravagant skills of Ríos have given way to the hard running versatility of the stocky Gustavo Puerta. This has given them more defensive solidity — the system only works if the midfield trio stays disciplined, and it has also freed the talented Jhon Arias to break forward effectively.
So well did they play against Portugal that some people started talking up their chances of going all the way. This seems like a stretch. In a tournament of goal scorers, they would appear to lack a top-class center forward. But they have already done better than might have been feared after the thrashing they took at the hands of France.
Indeed, it now seems that the France game was an important milestone on the journey of whipping the team into shape for the World Cup.
Dealing with euphoria, though, has frequently not been Colombia’s strong point, and this will be tested by Ghana in Kansas. The match is a reunion with Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese coach who had a short and bitter spell in charge of Colombia at the start of the Qatar qualifiers.
The World Cup pedigree of Queiroz, though, is beyond doubt. He has proved himself a highly efficient defensive organizer with Iran and now in his current job. And with Ghana, he has the tools to link blanket defense with rapid counterattack.
If the balance of Lorenzo’s side is not right, if they are too front-loaded, then Queiroz can be relied upon to find and probe the weakness. Colombia, though, will trust that defeat in a friendly in March will serve as an aid to their bid for glory in July.
