Néstor Lorenzo often has a neat way of summing things up. When asked about the enigmatic James Rodriguez before Tuesday’s crucial match against Brazil, the eloquent Colombian coach answered again.
“Now he runs a little less, but thinks a little more. That’s good for him. He’s well-surrounded, and that’s what makes him play well.”
After just three games in the 2024 Copa América, the 32-year-old Rodriguez has created 11 chances for his teammates – more than any other player in the tournament – and has three assists. He would have had a fourth if the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) hadn’t mercilessly drawn the line midway through a thrilling first half against Brazil in Santa Clara, California last night.
“I know his love for the jersey and his dedication to the national team,” Lorenzo continued. “That’s why I trusted him.”
Rodriguez’s involvement with the Colombian national team has been uncertain in recent years, with his club form continuing to falter, leading to his exclusion from the 2021 Copa América squad. With his current Brazilian side Sao Paulo, he has played less than 700 league minutes in 12 months due to fitness and form issues.
Nevertheless, Lorenzo has found a place in his 4-3-1-2 system that will allow Rodriguez’s technical ability to breathe, and pull the strings in a positionally fluid role behind the two strikers. Hard runners and tough tacklers Jefferson Lerma and Richard Rios can do the dirty work in midfield, while the No. 10 can combine with the intelligent John Arias, pick off Luis Diaz’s relentless channel runs or explore the box for the lively centre-forward John Cordoba.
With the freedom to roam into pockets of space, Rodriguez will react to the play in front of him. As you can see in the graphic below, he likes to get into the build-up phase and collect the ball from the centre-backs, especially against the aggressive low blocks of Paraguay and Costa Rica, who worked hard to close down their preferred spaces in midfield in their first two group games.
In the 1-1 draw with Brazil, the situation was more open, allowing him to slip into the dangerous zone of the right half-space, where he did not hesitate to cut inside and find his teammates. Once in the area, his deliveries were consistently inch-perfect.
One of the last displays of his unlocking skills training against Brazil was when he created the next opportunity for Córdoba in that space.
With the extra thinking time Lorenzo mentioned – time created by spreading out to receive the pass – Rodriguez picked out a perfectly judged cross that landed just above the six-yard line, over the defenders and onto the striker’s head.
Of the 11 chances he has created for his teammates in this competition, seven have come from dead-ball deliveries, and his ability to judge the weight of a pass shows why. The way Rodriguez floats the ball, looping and spinning it towards goal, leaving it airborne enough to keep the goalkeeper on his line, makes each cross extremely easy to attack.
In the case of the disallowed ‘equaliser’, look at how close Davinson Sanchez was to the goal when he made contact. The ball was lofted over the defensive line, but not high enough for the goalkeeper to come and collect it.
Even from the corner, Rodriguez continued to pass the ball to the edge of the six-yard box, this time to Cordoba who headed it over the crossbar.
The quality and consistency of their crosses are so good that any Colombian set piece flying in from anywhere on the pitch is met with a rapturous welcome from the fans in the stands.
Rodriguez can also change. Early in the first half against Brazil, he swooped over the bar with a vicious free-kick that rolled over the wall and then curled and curled.
He also fired a shot towards Alisson’s near post from a crossing position. As he approached the ball and leaned back, he suddenly closed his body and wrapped his foot around the ball, forcing the goalkeeper to crawl back and push the spinning shot upwards.
His left boot is packed with finesse and firepower.
Contrary to what Lorenzo’s summary suggests, Rodriguez is by no means a low-strength player. Only Brazilian defender Marquinhos had more touches last night at Levi’s Stadium for the San Francisco 49ers, and his four tackles were abysmal compared to teammate Daniel Muñoz.
Rodriguez lost a yard of speed just over a week before his 33rd birthday, but his national team aspirations keep him going.
(Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
“He is a player we have to keep a close eye on. Someone will always have to keep an eye on him,” Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes said before the match.
Colombia are currently undefeated in 26 games and are favourites to extend their unbeaten run to 27 games when they face Panama in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday in the quarterfinals.
Rodriguez was at the heart of that historic march and is giving the world the last glimpse of his galactic days at Real Madrid.
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(Above photo: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
