For Jorge Valdivia there were two matches against Colombia that marked him as a footballer for La Roja. “2-4 (2009) will always be remembered and that was one of the games where I felt the best. It meant we qualified for South Africa after 12 years. This is a team that is shining, a young team and we have a teacher like Bielsa who teaches us to understand football,” he said in a conversation with As Colombia.
“The 3-3 (2013) was strange because before the game it was said that Colombia would beat Chile physically because of the humidity and the heat, and the truth is that the first half was the opposite, it was a 0- 3 where we saw ourselves very superior. In the second half we suffered attacks, quick changes, we suffered the dismissal of Carlos Carmona (…) I always say that the Chile-Colombia match is a very difficult fight, very good to watch and even if someone comes out better than the other, in the end they become complicated,” he added.
But tonight was a very different story. Chile has lost the light of the past years and struggles with a mix of old standards and young people who want to make the leap and end the questions about the replacement. Colombia, for its part, has managed to transform itself and, on paper, it is better.
“These are good games to analyze, where the details make the difference. I always say that the first thing is to have good players to see a good game and they both have it. There are some Chilean part of this great golden generation and Colombia joins some that we already know, plus new numbers that are always seen in Colombian soccer.
– Did you see the victory of Colombia against Venezuela in the debut?
– Unfortunately I didn’t see it because it was in the air. Today, Colombian soccer is one, its idiosyncrasy and its DNA are one, so it does not differ from past sports. We know that the Colombian player loves to play, to enjoy the ball. This is a team that usually moves the ball, adds passes, has strong players who can make a difference. This is a qualifying match and everything is different because the local proposal is very different from the visit.
-What is your opinion of Colombia’s ’10’… James, Juanfer and Carrascal?
– I have faced James many times and he is fantastic, he is a player with a little experience can make a difference for you. I introduced him because he has the same rhythm as me, more relaxed, slower. The quality of the reaction to the pressure of a touch immediately releases the game. It is a multi-technique with multi-view. I’ve seen games where James is slowly getting better and better with the ball. Like Juanfer, you got a license out of nowhere. The decision-making of these players is often very fast and often in space. One thing that makes the difference is that they have forward pass in their DNA and not backward. Carrascal is a bit more dynamic, more active, he can step in big area and maybe together more than individually, with one-on-one. James and Juanfer deserve more, but they are undoubtedly three great players.
– What must Colombia do to win in Santiago?
– This is a difficult question because my desire and desire, the feeling of being Chilean, will be betrayed a little, but I believe that Colombian football cannot betray its history. By not doing so, without a doubt you always have a chance to go to the World Cups or win the games. It’s a difficult question to answer and that’s why I’ll go out like I do on the field, go one way and look the other, but I hope it’s a great game where we’ll see good football and that the field that issue is not. an excuse for anyone.of both.
