Colombia Still Potential Copa America Winners Despite Slip-Up in Group Stage

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: June 12, 2016

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Jose Pekerman rolled the dice and lost. But despite some critical voices, the coach's gamble was not a foolish one.

He decided to rotate 10 players out of the team that beat Paraguay in the second Copa America clash and play reserves and squad players against Costa Rica on Saturday night in Houston.

Colombia lost 3-2 in a pulsating clash, and it meant they surrendered the top spot in Group A to the United States, who beat Paraguay earlier in the evening.

A draw or win would have been enough for Los Cafeteros to win the group.



Pekerman had good reasons behind his decision. The coach wanted, primarily, to rest his first team.

The Copa America Centenario is a brutal tournament. The distances travelled and the heat in some of the locations has made it tough for some teams to handle.

Uruguay made a big point of this, with coach Oscar Tabarez lashing out, per Goal.

It’s going to be played all over the United States, I don’t like it. The teams that reach the final will have been over the whole of the country - and it’s an impressively big country. Then there’s the heat there, which, on top of the distances to be travelled, increases the demands [of the tournament]. That’s why I don’t think it will be an ordinary Copa America.

Colombia's game against Costa Rica took place in hot conditions, with the temperature after the game still a high 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit).

Pekerman's men would have been playing again on Thursday night in the quarter-final had they topped the group. He clearly wanted to keep his men fresh for that potential game.

Furthermore, his selection decisions also protected first-teamers from suffering injuries against Costa Rica.

By picking players who hadn't had as much game time in the tournament, he was also giving them match fitness, which will be useful if ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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