The Weekly Take, Issue 165: Their Last Chance?

The second of two Copa América semifinals saw Argentina and Colombia face off for a place in the final against Brazil. It came down to a penalty shootout. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez put on an absolute clinic in the shootout, saving three penalties to deny Los Cafeteros a spot in the final. Had Colombia made the final, they would have done so for the first time in 20 years. In 2001, Colombia beat Mexico in the final to win the continental title for their only Copa title to date.

This turn of events does bring up an important question: have Colombia missed their best chance in years to bring home a title? It certainly seems that way. Though they would have started the match against Brazil as underdogs, it must be kept in mind that Brazil are led by serial big-match underperformer Neymar. It could certainly be possible that he would once against fail to deliver on the big stage, paving the way for a Colombian victory. Of course, that's no longer relevant now.

Additionally, this is an aging Colombia team. Many of their key players such as Duván Zapata, Luis Muriel, David Ospina, and Juan Cuadrado are 30 or older. Among their younger players, none in particular move the needle. Probably their best player in the younger age bracket right now is the 25-year-old Davinson Sánchez. Though Sánchez is a solid player at centre-back, he is not even close to being the player who might take Colombia to new heights.

Some might claim that Colombia were always pretenders - that they never truly had a chance to win any tournament. Perhaps that had been true prior to this year's Copa, but the unique format of the 2021 tournament allowed Colombia's path to open up very nicely indeed. This was their opportunity; however, they failed to capitalize.

The question then becomes: what is next for Colombia? In World Cup qualifying, they are currently fifth; that position would see them miss out on an automatic spot in next year's tournament in Qatar. By no means is it a given that Colombia will qualify; Paraguay, Chile, and Peru could all potentially overtake them and knock Colombia out altogether.

Although he has only been in the position for around six months, it is becoming increasingly clear that head coach Reinaldo Rueda is not the right man in the dugout. Colombia's poor group-stage results such as a goalless draw against Venezuela as well as a loss to Peru can, at least in part, be attributed to Rueda's lack of tactical nous. This team could easily have won both matches. While the resulting lower seed did not prevent them from eventually advancing to the semifinals, it did serve as evidence that strategically, Rueda got it completely wrong.

It also feels as though Colombia have been living off the high of their 2014 World Cup quarterfinal run. The 2014 tournament was Colombia's most successful World Cup ever - the only time they ever made it beyond the round of 16. What made that run even more impressive was the fact that they did it without star striker Radamel Falcao, who had torn his ACL prior to the tournament. Though they have had solid results since then, it is unfortunate but true that Colombia's deep run then may have instilled a sense of complacency within the team.

Of course, it certainly isn't impossible for Colombia to turn it around. Though they might not have any superstars among their core players in the coming generation, there is definitely some potential to be found. Sánchez, Luis Díaz, Alfredo Morelos, and Rafael Santos Borré do have genuine potential. However, this team's upside is limited; their future seems murkier than it has ever been before.

However, if Colombia do end up failing to return to their former status, much of the blame has to ultimately fall on the shoulders of their player development. The 2014 World Cup run should have been an opportunity for them to continue building and establish themselves as a true force in South America. Unfortunately, it does appear that Colombia's best opportunity has passed them by.