Ricardo Rozo and Felipe Taborda are men with history in the Colombian Women’s National Team. Both as technicians built the bases, raised the beams, built the present. It was up to the first to start the World Cup path for the elderly, in 2011. The second recognized the seeds and resolved the feat of qualifying for the round of 16 in 2015. With that experience, they analyze the team that will debut tomorrow in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Both have confidence in Nelson Abadía’s team, they believe him, although they know that in a World Cup for seniors the demand is maximum.
Taborda and Rozo’s analysis
Colombia women’s team and Linda Caicedo.
“This Selection, except for some players, has the best in the country: 5, 6 mature players, with training for almost 10 years and going to 3 World Cups; It has players with an international level of 4 or 5 years old, others with national blanks, and at the U-20 and U-17 National Team level. For my taste, Liana Salazar, Natalia Gaitán, Isabella Echeverry, Yorely Rincón were missing… But the mix is good. We have a prepared, competitive, mature and close-knit team”, analyzes Rozo, who led Colombia between 2010 and 2012.
The group with Korea —first rival—, Germany and Morocco is very careful. Rozo knows that he cannot be trusted with any adversary.
“You have to guarantee zero, stop well, go from less to more, organize from back to front, very solid tactically, patient. The budget is to add Korea; Germany is a power, you have to take precautions, and play the card with Morocco, which in theory is not that strong. A starting point would be very good”, analyzes Rozo, who in 2011 could not get past the first round, against rivals like Sweden, the USA and North Korea.
Rozo is careful. “The expectation is there, but you have to be very careful, there are countries with more training, more games, strong, physical, athletic teams. Colombia played with China and Ireland, but we did not see them, I read that the goals were in the air, so the fixed tactic must be reinforced, and with the foot of Catalina Usme it can be solved ”analyze.
As a physical gap persists with respect to other teams, Rozo proposes taking out the national identity. “We are sweet from a technical point of view, with good players. We have increased the size, the biotype, we look bigger, stronger, but we have to make the ball run and take advantage of the strengths with linda caicedo or leicy santos”.
(Also: Messi and the vomit that nobody saw: they reveal an unexpected video of his debut at Inter Miami).
‘We are not power’
Colombia women’s team.
Felipe Taborda coached in the 2015 World Cup and Colombia reached several milestones: the first time they scored a goal in the World Cup, their first victory and against the powerhouse France, and qualifying for the round of 16, against the United States.
Taborda is confident that these milestones can be repeated or improved, but without ignoring the difficulty.
“A World Cup for seniors is another level, they are players with a lot of experience, who play for the best clubs in the world, with strong teams, it is not the same as an under-17 or under-20, here those in the hierarchy almost always advance. Let’s hope that Colombia, which has been maturing, can have that possibility”, says Taborda.
In any case, the DT finds a competitive Colombia: «There is a generational change, there are some casualties, but players like Linda Caicedo or Mayra Ramírez, who are powerful, are good. There are players competing in Europe at a more athletic pace than ours. But you have to understand that it is not so easy, ”he says, and asks for restraint.
“You have to tell the fans that Colombia is not a world power, we are growing, we don’t even have a consolidated League. The players barely make their big jumps. And the rivals are good: Korea is a dynamic Asian, fast, they play well, they face Japan in their tie, which is strong, or China… Germany, they are not in their best shape, they are very strong, and we don’t have much knowledge of Morocco, but those who qualify have something”, he says.
PAUL ROMERO
WEATHER EDITOR
@PabloRomeroET