Colombia’s coach, Argentine Néstor Lorenzo, said this Wednesday that his team arrived in Cochabamba with the conviction of “beating” Bolivia, in the match they will play this Thursday at more than 4,000 meters of altitude.
On Friday, Colombia established its concentration in Cochabamba, a city located at more than 2,500 meters of altitude
Lorenzo said that he has asked his players to “come out and be protagonists” and stressed that “they come to play and win.”
The 58-year-old coach encountered the difficulty that his players arrived at the camp headquarters in dribs and drabs, so he did not have enough time to practice with a full team.
Likewise, he regretted that logistics in the Bolivian city had been complicated by some last-minute changes or by what he considered the day before was a “break in privacy” when it was identified that someone was recording the practice of his selection.
“It is unfortunate that they send you to spy. We identified him and we have photos,” he said.
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He anticipated that Bolivia will propose an “intense match” with young players who make “quick transitions” in attack and defense, with “three or four good finishers who try from medium distance” and that these are situations that will be taken into account.
He also pointed out that his team’s challenge is to manage “the pace of the game” and “attenuate the physical difference due to adaptation (to the height) that the Bolivian team has.”
Lorenzo pointed out that the performance of his players at altitude will be evaluated in the game itself, “minute by minute”, in order to make the best decisions.
The Colombian team will have its last practice at the Félix Capriles stadium in Cochabamba before traveling to the match venue.
After eight rounds, Colombia occupies second place in the qualifying rounds with 16 points and Bolivia is eighth with 9.
Bolivians and Colombians faced each other seven times in Bolivia. La Verde won one game and the coffee growers two. The rest were ties.
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