Copa América: Reborn James Rodriguez Holds Key To Colombia’s Final Hopes

After experiencing a decade of disappointments at the club level, the golden boy of the 2014 World Cup, James Rodriguez, aged 33, has made a stunning return to the international stage shining once more.

The Colombian ‘number 10’ has been fundamental to his team’s run to the final of the Copa América where ‘Los Cafeteros’ will face world champions Argentina for the title.

Ten years ago in Brazil, Rodriguez scored six goals during Colombia’s journey to the World Cup quarter-finals, highlighted by a spectacular volley against Uruguay. This incredible goal earned him FIFA’s Puskas Award for the of the year.

The midfielder’s displays earned him a lucrative move to Spanish giants, Real Madrid for a fee reported to be around 80 million euros, at the time the fourth most expensive transfer in the world.

He was handed Real’s famous number 10 shirt and presented as the club’s next great star but he was unable to live up to those high expectations and his club career, which showed such promise with Porto and Monaco, has never truly recovered.

After being loaned to Bayern Munich, Rodriguez made a free transfer to English club Everton in 2020. His career path then led him to the Qatari club Al-Rayyan, followed by Greece’s Olympiacos, and most recently to Brazil’s Sao Paulo. This once-promising career took a det along the way.

In Brazil this season, Rodriguez has only featured in eight matches for the club. However, coach Nestor Lorenzo doesn’t seem concerned about his club.

The Argentine had seen enough from Rodriguez in the national team shirt to give him a central role at the Copa and he has been rewarded by performances that have defied his decline at club level.

“Since I took over the national team, I followed him and whenever he played (for his clubs) he did interesting things but we needed him to play,” said Lorenzo.

Rodriguez has rewarded Lorenzo with a tournament record of six assists and a goal and performances that have brought the best out of the team’s attacking talents.

“The chance for a great player to play and get minutes allows him to show what he can do. If he plays less, he is going to have less chance,” added Lorenzo.

What is key is that Rodriguez is allowed with Colombia to play in his preferred role, floating behind the strikers, dictating play, opening up the defense with clever passing constantly searching for an opening.

He is a classic ‘number 10’, a role that has gone out of fashion in many clubs and leagues, but one which Lorenzo appears to understand is essential to getting the best out of Rodriguez.

Certainly, his teammates are appreciative of the ‘second wind’ in his career.

Liverpool winger, Luis Diaz, known for his electrifying pace poses one of the biggest threats to Argentina on Sunday, talks of his team-mate in the language of a fan.

“He has always been my idol along with (Radamel) Falcao and (Juan Guillermo) Cuadrado, who I used to watch on television when I was a kid. I keep telling James: ‘You’re a superstar! I admire you a lot and you deserve it,'” Luis Diaz told DirecTV.

Diaz ensured that the fans were fully aware of his admiration when Rodriguez scored the penalty spot during the 5-0 quarter-final victory over Panama. Showing his respect, Diaz rushed over to his teammate and mimed placing a crown on his head.

“He deserves it, this is his Copa, no doubt… We know what he has been through, what he has suffered. Football is for moments like this and it provided him a rematch,” he said.

As Argentina aims for their third consecutive major title at the Hard Rock Stadium and a record-breaking 16th Copa America, Colombia and Rodriguez see this as an opportunity to secure only their second title since their triumph in the 2001 Copa America.

Rodriguez hasn’t elaborated on the contrast between his club and country form but perhaps the desire to provide his football-mad country with a rare piece of silverware is explanation enough.

“When I play for Colombia I try to help my teammates. Everyone knows that I give everything for this shirt,” he said.