Copa America: Colombia’s James Rodriguez A Man On A Mission

James Rodriguez has shown a return to his brilliant best at the Copa América and expressed determination to lead Colombia to their second championship in the tournament. This came after their 5-0 victory over Panama in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

The 32-year-old has impressed in the run by 2001 champions Colombia to the semi-finals, with his outstanding vision and defense-splitting passes leading to him notching five assists tied with Lionel Messi (2021) for most assists in a single edition of the tournament.

Rodriguez showcased his creative talent once more in the victory against Panama. He delivered a perfectly executed corner kick for the first goal, scored a powerful penalty, and then displayed quick thinking to assist in Colombia’s third goal.

“A tough match, they are very strong, but we came in in a good way, we knew how to score the goals quickly and that gave us control of the match,” Rodriguez said after picking up his third player of the match award in four games.

“Did I want to be the best player of the Copa? Yes, I wanted to have a very good Cup and help my teammates to go far.

“We are going until the last day, let’s hope we can reach that great final that we all want, we are going through a good moment too.”

Rodriguez is once again Colombia’s main man, but he has had to fight to get here.

He burst into the limelight by clinching the Golden at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, leading a prestigious transfer to the La Liga powerhouse, Real Madrid.

Despite his impressive performances for Colombia, Rodriguez struggled to replicate the same level of success in his club career. Following challenging periods at Real Madrid and an unremarkable loan spell at Bayern Munich, Rodriguez made a move to Everton in 2020.

He spent one season competing in the Premier League before brief stints at Al-Rayyan in Qatar and Olympiakos Last year, Rodriguez made a move to club Sao Paulo.

Rodriguez was left out of Colombia’s squad for the 2021 Copa America due to a lack of fitness but has been fully reinstated in the team by Nestor Lorenzo.

Under Lorenzo, Colombia has transformed into one of the top teams in South America, embarking on an impressive 27-match unbeaten streak and securing significant victories against powerhouse teams such as Brazil and Germany.

“He is a great player, nothing to explain. He is a player who is happy on the pitch,” Lorenzo told reporters on Saturday.