Colombia‘sโ World Cup Qualification Masked by Tactical Concerns, Says Analyst โคCarlos Antonio Vรฉlez
BARRANQUILLA, Colombia โ- Despiteโ securing qualification for teh 2026 World cup with a resounding 6-3 victory โคover Venezuela – fueled by a four-goal performance from Luis Javier Suรกrez – concerns โare mounting over theโค Colombian national team’s tactical preparedness for facing elite competition. Renowned journalist Carlos Antonio Vรฉlez delivered a scathing assessment following the match, questioning whether the scoreline accurately reflects the team’s current capabilities.
Speaking on Planet Football, Vรฉlez acknowledged the positive result โขbut highlighted significant defensive vulnerabilities. โข”if Iโ speak of the wonderful result, if I talk about the game, we begin to โฃcomplicate: โMier made goals, defensively we โฃwere a disaster. Then what we did was take advantage of the Venezuelans’ mental state,” he stated.
Vรฉlez detailed how Colombia capitalizedโ on โฃa lapse in focus from Venezuela after learning of Bolivia’s goal. โค”The game was for them, and when they โgo to the dressing room, they areโฃ told that Bolivia is winning.They leave, they don’tโ manage, they risk it โand in five minutes, Luis [Suรกrez] scores the third goal; from there, โthey collapsed.”
The analyst warned that the impressive scoreline could be “very misleading,” emphasizing the numerous flaws still present within the squad. “Can you imagine those mistakes we made before a team like Spain?” he questioned, suggesting โฃa significant gap in quality.
Vรฉlez stressed the importance of merit-based selection, stating, “The great message, and hopefully the coach understands, is that there is paradise with opportunities. They gave Luis and he scored four. There can be no written positions for anyone. The โone who is well has to play.”
While Colombia completed a perfect six-point sweep in the final qualifying matches, Vรฉlez’sโค critique underscores the need for significant tactical improvements under coach Nestor Lorenzo โคif the team hopes toโฃ make a significant impact atโ the 2026 World Cup.