“This is how it hurts some this began with the departure of Pékerman”: what sports journalists said about the elimination of Colombia

The match against Venezuela at the Cachamay stadium came with a suitcase full of illusions of a possible qualification for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The Colombian National Team had to do its job, which was to prevail against José Néstor Pékerman's team and hope that Peru did not score three points against Paraguay. At minute 4 things got complicated when Lapadula scored the first for the Inca team, James scored and overtook the Tricolor, however, a goal by Yotún at 42′ ended the illusions of the Rueda team.

A generation of players who did not know firsthand the pain and frustration of not being able to attend a World Cup and the sure farewell of several referents of the team who managed to lead the national team to two world championships. A situation that resembles the sensations of the Qualifiers to Korea and Japan 2002, Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010.

What happened in the qualifiers can be analyzed from different points of view and from different perspectives, however, the main ones highlighted in this whole debacle are the managers of the Colombian Football Federation, the coaching staff headed by Reinaldo Rueda and some of the players. Social media has created the perfect space for fans of the team to discuss what could be the best solution for the next Playoffs.

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Just as fans have spoken about this situation, several sports journalists have given their opinion regarding the elimination of the Colombian National Team in the qualifiers, have proposed some possible options and even reflected on the work they have been doing while covering all the news of the Tricolor.

Ivan Mejia posted on Twitter: “The truth is, we didn't have any clothes to go to that party. Team without goal and without creation. We will blame players and technicians, but when will the inept managers show their faces? Football in Colombia is not progressing, it goes backwards.” On the other hand Carlos Antonio Vélez pointed out that, “When this generation was already starting, it gave a good performance until Brazil... it was not renewed and the decline appeared towards Russia 2018 and now it was consummated.. the last 2 qualifiers have been very similar.. the difference was the “Lima pact” For real numbers”.

Gabriel Meluk in his column for El Tiempo said that, “You don't have to brainless to pose as a genius and ask for the change of the “structures of Colombian football”. With those same 'structures' we came from qualifying for two World Cups in a row, from making the largest World Cup in our history in Brazil-2014 and from being third in the Copa América. Colombia is successfully eliminated fundamentally because these are the players we have, the ones that exist, those who feed a pride and patrioterism that today make this elimination hurt the most. And sanse is over!”

You can also read: Reinaldo Rueda would no longer be the technical director of the Colombia national team, according to a clause in his contract

Cesar Augusto Londoño posted on his social networks: “When the Federation took Queiroz out, José Pekerman was excited to return to direct @FCFSeleccionCol, he was without a team and his desire was to return, because he never wanted to leave. But it was never an option for managers. The biggest mistake was not renewing a successful job.”

Juan Felipe Cadavid posted on his social networks: “Our football lives in fear. We are more afraid of defeat than we like triumph. We have a tournament in which 3 lost matches make a Dt shake, which is why most teams prioritize defensive (...) That is why it is not surprising that yesterday against Venezuela, despite the fact that we won, the National Team was not determined to overtake the rival, without conviction. On the contrary, it was a cautious approach... To evolve like this, IMPOSSIBLE”.

Steven Arce first stated that: “This is how it hurts some, this began with the contempt and departure of José Pékerman”, then reflected on his role in the elimination of the Colombian National Team. “As a journalist, I also assume that I could have been more critical of a leadership that demonstrated a lack of planning. I gave more value to the name of the dt on duty than to the project, I put more rearview mirror than front lamps, I was able to do more (...) Journalists must learn from these falls in order to prepare ourselves more and to live up to every situation that arises. We were comfortable from 2 World Cups in a row, from footballers who are in Europe and assuming that we would be in Qatar, it is also a slap in the face”.

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