A star-studded investment consortium has acquired Bogotá soccer team La Equidad. 

The purchase was partially financed by U.S. actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney who co-own the British soccer club Wrexham. 

The celebrities formed part of the U.S.-based Tylis-Porter Group, which reportedly paid over USD $30 million for the team, which ranked 13th out of 20 in the 2024 Colombian league phase.

In addition to the A-list Wrexham FC owners, the consortium also included stars such as Mexican-American actress Eva Longoria and U.S. model Kate Upton. 

The group is named after Al Tylis, a real estate investor, and Sam Porter, who was previously a soccer executive at the Major League Soccer (MLS) team D.C. United as well as Welsh side, Swansea City. 

Reynolds and McElhenney’s purchase of La Equidad makes it the third soccer team in their portfolio.

It is not their first foray into Latin America’s soccer business; in April 2024, the pair acquired a minority stake in Mexican team Necaxa. 

The Tylis-Porter Group had previously bought 50% of Necaxa in 2021 and sold a portion of the team to Reynolds and McElhenney who in turn sold the group a portion of Wrexham. 

Reynolds and McElhenney made headlines in 2021 when they purchased Wrexham FC, at the time a fifth division team, for USD $2.5 million. 

Since acquiring the club, the actors have leveraged their celebrity status to boost its profile. 

Notably, they produced a documentary series on the Disney+ streaming platform called Welcome to Wrexham which follows their management of the team and its players’ lives.

Varsity also reported in July 2024 that filming had begun on a similar series titled Welcome to Necaxa that will feature Reynolds, McElhenney and Longoria.

It remains unclear if the stars have similar plans for La Equidad.

In a statement on social media, La Equidad celebrated the club’s purchase.

“It fills us with pride to announce that La Equidad Football Club is beginning a new stage,” the club wrote.

It also said that the sale has been approved by the DIMAYOR, the organization that oversees the major soccer leagues in Colombia.

Speaking to The Athletic, Porter suggested that the consortium hopes to oversee improvements in the club’s standing.

“This is an incredible opportunity to enhance the club’s growth in every aspect and to become an integral part of Colombian football,” said Porter. 

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Then, in the high altitude of Quito on Tuesday evening, Colombia were unlucky to see two goals ruled out by VAR and a penalty missed by Luis Díaz as the match ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

James shines against Uruguay as Colombia rue missed chances

Colombia started off slowly against Uruguay, with coach Néstor Lorenzo choosing an experienced starting XI (five years older on average than the opposition) to deal with a mini injury crisis in the squad.

Taking time to find their rhythm, it wasn’t until the 35th minute that Los Cafeteros managed a shot on target. Santiago Arias’ cross from the right came through to James Rodríguez, who controlled with his right then quickly rifled a shot with his left into the bottom right corner to give Colombia the lead. ¡Golazo!

But Colombia’s lead lasted until just a few seconds into the second half, with Mathías Oliver’s equalising header from very close range to the bottom right corner following a corner.

They were back ahead shortly after, however, in controversial fashion. Luis Díaz’ ball recovery and subsequent pass out to the right flank found Rafael Santos Borré, whose cross appeared to strike the arm of James before deflecting through for Mateus Uribe to finish.

The Colombian TV commentators called it “debatable”, but replays showed that they were fortunate to not have the goal chalked off by VAR.

With their tails up, Colombia played fluidly to create three good chances in quick succession, but none came to fruition thanks to the post, the crossbar, and Lucho Díaz missing what for him should have been a simple chance.

Though a bit late, Lorenzo rang the changes, trying to push on to take the game away from Uruguay with the introduction of West Yorkshire legend Luis Sinisterra and Jorge Carrascal late on.

However, the game was to turn again following a second yellow card to goalkeeper Camilo Vargas. Having picked one up in the ninth minute for inexplicably chasing down Núñez well outside his area, Vargas’ second came after a collision with Maximiliano Araújo in the area.

Handed his marching orders by the referee after a VAR check for offside from the attacker, substitute goalkeeper Álvaro Montero — making his competitive international debut — was unable to stop Núñez converting for 2-2.

Colombia created many more chances in this game than their previous two qualifiers; however, a lack of cohesion in defence saw them regularly beaten over the top and questions still remain in this area of the pitch. Santiago Arias, though, had a fantastic game at right back.

A good result and positives to be taken, but the manner of the late Uruguay equaliser put this match in classic ‘draw that felt like a loss’ territory. Memories of the dire 2022 qualifiers resurfaced with a lack of killer instinct failing to put matches to bed.

Díaz denied by penalty save

It was a similar story a few days later in Quito. While it was a marked improvement from the 6-1 mauling Colombia suffered on their last visit to Ecuador’s capital, missed chances meant Colombia once again were left with just one point for their efforts.

Just like the previous Thursday in Baranquilla, Colombia were hanging on in the first part of the game as Ecuador struck both the crossbar and post from long range attempts at Álvaro Montero’s goal.

Colombia countered well, though, and on 35 minutes a deft through ball by James Rodríguez to Luis Díaz, who finished with a smooth chip over keeper Moisés Ramírez. The lead lasted less than a second, however, with the linesman immediately raising his flag for offside as Lucho set off on his run a fraction of a second too soon.

Absolutely sublime skill from Díaz in the second half saw him skin three players on the touchline, leaving them with twisted blood as he waltzed through pressure to deliver a perfect ball into the box for Jhon Arias, who drew a foul.

Surprisingly it was Lucho himself that then took the penalty instead of either James Rodríguez or Rafael Santos Borré. 

Díaz has, of course, recently returned from a long-term injury and has not shown much of the electric play for the country that has seen him earmarked as the next talismanic leader of La Selección.

If this was a decision made by the team to try to instil confidence in a struggling team-mate, it did not work. Díaz’ attempt was poor and easily saved by Ramírez. It was his second penalty at professional level and his second miss.

Less than two minutes later, Colombia once again thought they had the lead through centre-back Carlos Cuesta, who fired home following a corner to spark a rapturous celebration among his teammates.

VAR intervened, however, and after a three-minute delay the referee was called over to the pitchside monitor before annulling the goal as Rafael Santos Borré was adjudged to have been impeding the goalkeeper from an offside position. 

One final eye-catching attempt from James in the 93rd minute came, but no fairytale ending. It finished 0-0 — Colombia’s third draw in a row. 

Undefeated, but unlucky or underperforming?

Colombian fans are probably unsure whether to be happy or not. Yes, they are now 12 games undefeated under manager Néstor Lorenzo, but two points from these two games is, upon reflection, a slightly disappointing return. Lorenzo himself said in a post-match press conference in Quito that it felt like four points lost.

While fortunate to not see the second goal against Uruguay chalked off by VAR, there were plenty of claritas to consolidate their lead that weren’t taken, making the eventual equaliser feel almost inevitable as time ticked on.

In Quito, for a team starting with second-choice centre-backs, a third-choice goalkeeper and a fifth-choice right back it was a good clean sheet to keep, though this was aided by a terrible performance by Ecuador’s Enner Valencia.

But the decision to hand a critical penalty kick to a low on confidence Luis Díaz while other, better penalty takers watched on was a bit of a head-scratcher. 

The future of the Colombia team likely lies with Díaz. He played very well in parts; however, over these two games he could very well be held accountable for not winning either of them. 

The return of Empatelombia

The main lesson learned from the failure to qualify for the Qatar 2022 was that it is very difficult to draw your way to a World Cup spot. The expanded 48-team tournament for 2026 has seen an increase from 4.5 to 6.5 qualification slots for South America, which brings more opportunity for success and for wholesale embarrassment if qualification is not achieved. 

Colombia would do well to turn some draws into victories to demonstrate their status as the fourth highest ranked team on the continent and 17th in the world. The key difference from last time is that at least chances are being created so progress is visible. It might be time to call up the likes of Cucho Hernández, currently doing well at Columbus Crew. 

As it stands, a return of six points from four games sees Colombia fifth in the table, just one point off second spot and comfortably inside the qualification spots. Only Colombia and runaway leaders Argentina remain undefeated.The cafeteros’ next match takes place in Baranquilla on 16 November at home to third-placed Brazil, who will be seeking to bounce back after a 2-0 loss away to Uruguay. A trip to Paraguay then follows on 21 November.

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After going 1-0 up through Jader Valencia, red cards for captain David Macalister Silva and Daniel Giraldo either side of the interval left Millos with too much to do to protect their slim lead.

And, after hanging on for just eight minutes, quickfire goals from Christian Marrugo, Emerson Batalla and a brace from Yeison Moreno brought ecstasy for the Santa Fe contingent in the Sur and agony for a Millos team in disarray.

A consolation goal from Jader Valencia left only the most optimistic dreaming of a historical remontada for Los Embajadores, but the damage from the two dismissals had been done.

A storied and bitter rivalry

The 313th league meeting between the two rivals saw Santa Fe begin the match sixth in the table having shown promising, though not groundbreaking, progress under new coach Hubert Bodhert.

Meanwhile, defending league champions Millonarios kicked off having had a wholly unconvincing start to the season. Boasting the worst attacking record in the league, their four goals scored in nine games — with not a single one away from home — had left them in 13th position, largely thanks to a similarly miserly defence that had conceded just six.

Kicking off in the pouring Bogotá rain, it was Santa Fe who came closest to opening the scoring early on after José Aja’s headed effort from the first corner of the game cannoned off the crossbar after the initial cross eluded an onrushing Juan Moreno.

Ever Valencia was then similarly denied by the woodwork, with his exceptionally controlled chest and volley from outside the box sneaking past Moreno but crashing against the post.

While the initial momentum was with Santa Fe, it was Millos who took the lead on 36 minutes. A low cross from the right from Sander Navarro was deflected into the path of an onrushing Jader Valencia, who was able to withstand pressure to poke it over the line from three yards out.

Blue Pain

The tide was to turn just before half time, however, after a rash challenge from captain David Macalister Silva on Santa Fe’s Jhojan Torres was referred to VAR and the initial yellow card upgraded to a red.

Alberto Gamero’s team talk was already in need of a tweak but very nearly came to being completely torn up and started again after Ever Valencia chipped over Moreno into the back of the Millos goal in first half injury time. However, the rapturous celebrations were curtailed after the forward was judged to have strayed offside, leaving it 1-0 to the azules at the break.

Dan Giraldo sees red and Millos collapse

It was deja vu less than a minute into the second half for Millionarios after their remaining centre midfielder Daniel Giraldo scythed Ever Valencia down with a two-footed challenge. VAR wasn’t required this time, with referee Carlos Ortega producing a straight red card for violent conduct.

With the match now 11 versus nine it took Santa Fe just eight minutes to draw level, with captain Christian Marrugo demonstrating some deft control to cushion Valencia’s cross into the box before pirouetting to fire home on 55 minutes.

Just six minutes later, a first-time left footed finish from Emerson Batalla — his first of the campaign — gave Los Cardenales the lead.

In dire need of changes in the chaos (and with a potential eye on damage limitation), Alberto Gamero then sacrificed attackers Leonardo Castro and Daniel Cataño and replaced them with defender Jorge Arias and midfielder Juan Carlos Pereira.

The lead became 3-1 to the reds shortly after, however, when Juan Moreno — back in goal while regular starter Álvaro Montero is with La Selección for the CONMEBOL qualifiers — spilled a speculative effort from Ever Valencia into the path of Yeison Moreno, who coolly slotted  home.

And on 73 minutes it was that man Moreno again, taking advantage of the stretched Millos back line to grab a brace from a low effort into the far corner and make it 4-1 to Santa Fe.

The result now more-or-less a foregone conclusion, many Millonarios fans took the opportunity to save themselves from further pain (and rain) and leave El Campín with time to spare. Santa Fe’s substitute goalkeeper had a similar idea, receiving a red card from the bench for unprofessional behaviour.

A consolatory second goal of the match from Jader Valencia, who had demonstrated an admirably Kipling-esque ability throughout the match to keep his head while his teammates lost theirs, made it 4-2 on 76 minutes.

This, however, helped crystallise the focus of the Santa Fe players, who comfortably saw out the remaining time to assure themselves of all three points and their first win in six in the Clásico Capitalino.

Lost Their Bottle

In unfortunate scenes after the final whistle the victorious Santa Fe players were instructed to stay on the pitch for approximately ten minutes under the protection of both security staff and the attending National Police.

This stemmed from the Millonarios hinchada seated in the Occidental stands behind the player tunnel peppering the players with bottles when Santa Fe tried to exit the field of play.

Millonarios supporters had been subjected to announcements over the stadium PA system at their last home match against Atlético Nacional after poor behaviour towards each other, opposing fans and opposing players.

Furthermore, a Millonarios fanzine distributed at the Santa Fe match included an article calling on improved behaviour among the fan base following the occurrences against Nacional.

But with this second incident in just over two weeks, plus two red cards for violent conduct on the pitch in this match and the result leaving them still in 13th place, the disharmony among Los Embajadores seems likely to continue for the time being.

Santa Fe, meanwhile, find themselves in third place and just one point behind unbeaten leaders Águilas Doradas and move closer to securing a classification spot for the cuadrangulares after missing out entirely last season.

Next Matches:

Boyacá Chico v Santa Fe – Wed 13 September, KO 5:45pm

Millonarios v Atlético Bucaramanga – Fri 15 September, KO 8:30pm

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Colombia’s fairytale run in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 sees them pitted against European Champions England on Saturday morning. It’s likely to be a tense and close match, with the coaches Nelson Abadía and Sara Weigman searching for any tactical advantage. England are the bookies favourites, but that will count for little after kick off.

Colombia are underdogs on paper, but are coming in on a run of good form. Apart from a loss against Morocco where they bossed the game but couldn’t unlock the well-drilled North African defence, they have handily beaten everyone so far. That includes world number two Germany, who were eliminated after losing to the cafeteras. Jamaica were held at arms length in a last-16 clash that was more comfortable than a 1-0 scoreline suggests.

Experienced striker and record goalscorer Catalina Usme settled that last match with a well taken strike and she’s supported in attack by the intelligent Mayra Ramírez and the prodigious young talent of Linda Caicedo. Those three will ask plenty of questions of England’s back three, while composed captain Daniela Montoya and Lorena Bedoya will keep things ticking over in midfield.

While there’s no real history between the Cafeteras and the Lionesses, many Colombian fans will see this as a chance to avenge the 2018 loss against Gareth Southgate’s men’s team one round earlier in Russia. That limp defeat was an ugly match given extra bite by English tabloid rag the S*n printing a cocaine reference on their front page.

Highly-rated England were taken all the way to pens by Nigeria, albeit reduced to ten women after a needless foul by Lauren James, now banned for this match and the next, should they get there. Apart from hammering China, they’ve struggled to get out of 1^st gear, sneaking past Denmark and Haiti 1-0 apiece.

Technically excellent, hard-working and with plenty of tactical nous, there is much to recommend Colombia as a team. They’re also highly motivated to fight for the shirt but can be somewhat wasteful in front of goal. Manuela Vanegas’ winner against the Germans was an example of all this coming together as she burst into space to get on the end of a beautiful corner and absolutely planted a bullet header past the keeper.

Probably the key area will be Colombia’s ability to get down the right of England’s defence, as wonderkid Linda Caicedo will be relishing the chance to get one-on-one with Jess Carter with Bronze likely to stay high up the pitch. Caicedo is more than capable of winning those one-on-ones and creating space for the likes of Usme to exploit.

Colombia are happy to put themselves about a bit and let the opposition know they’re there. That intensity famously spooked a limp Ireland team in the last warmup match and England found the physical nature of the Nigerians hard to deal with last time out. If Colombia can get in their heads and disrupt their rhythm, they are well in with a chance.

The Colombian support Down Under has gathered support from various corners, with neutrals rallying behind the South Americans. With locals always happy to goad the poms and England being widely seen as arrogant, expect a partisan atmosphere inside Sydney’s imaginatively named Stadium Australia.

There’s a vast contrast between the resources available to each side, too. While the English game has its problems, it’s relatively well-funded and supported. There’s a fully fledged league system within the country, good international links and the players are well treated in general.

However, the football association of Colombia, Dimayor, is widely seen as corrupt, incompetent and sexist. Earlier in the tournament, they were widely criticised for releasing a video giving the players computers and patting them on the head like little girls. Disgusting stuff, especially in 2023 and especially with them exceeding expectations so spectacularly.

More worryingly, there has been a long list of complaints within the women’s game locally. Photos of players sleeping in airports because teams wouldn’t stump up for hotels produced outrage, but most critically there will be no clausura tournament this year, as had been promised. This leaves local players kicking their heels until next year for competitive matches.

Then there is the treatment of players who speak out – most notably Yoreli Rincón, but also Vanessa Córdoba and Natalia Gaitan. Rincón has alleged that she is blacklisted and has had no contact from Abadía, although she stresses that she is cheering on the team as always.

Whatever happens on Saturday morning, this will have been a successful campaign for the cafeteras and one that has won hearts and minds in the battle for further and fairer funding. Hopefully this can be parlayed into more support for the women’s game in Colombia. After all, the money is always there for the salaries of the Dimayor fat cats.

Colombia-England, Stadium Australia, Sydney

12/08/2023 5:30am KO (Colombian time)

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While last season saw a record seven Colombians registering appearances in the PL, this year that number has dropped slightly, with five securing a place in their respective first-team squads. Centre-back Yerry Mina was released by Everton (who now finds himself in Fiorentina’s defence) and Luis Sinisterra relegated to the Championship with Leeds.

Yerson Mosquera, meanwhile, who was signed by Wolverhampton Wanderers from Atlético Nacional in 2021, has recently had his loan spell with FC Cincinnati extended until the end of the MLS season having secured a regular place in the starting eleven. 

This will be the seventh season in succession with at least five Colombian players involved and — while it may not yet qualify as an ‘influx’ of talent — it is still a marked improvement considering that just five Colombians made appearances in the first 20 years of the Premier League.

But who remains to represent the tricolor of Colombia this term — with the hope of leaving a legacy more akin to Faustino Asprilla than James Rodríguez?

1. Steven Alzate – Brighton and Hove Albion

Born in Camden Town to Colombian parents, midfielder Alzate is entering his seventh season on the books of Brighton and returns to the club after a quietly impressive spell on loan in Belgium for Standard Liège last season.

Brighton & Hove Albion are coming off the most successful season in their history thanks to the hugely impressive contributions from a number of young South Americans. The 24-year-old Alzate will be hoping to add his name to this list as he seeks his first competitive minutes under Robert de Zerbi.

With only sporadic appearances in the first team during his tenure, the departure of Argentina’s Alexis Mac Allister, combined with the ongoing transfer saga surrounding Moisés Caicedo offers some new opportunities in the centre of the park. With a Europa League campaign also meaning more matches, Alzate will have a chance to shine.

2. Luis Díaz – Liverpool

The signing of Luis Díaz by Liverpool was the most noteworthy transfer involving a Colombian player since James Rodríguez moved to Real Madrid in 2014. However, after an electric first half-season for the club following a move in January 2022, the winger’s first full campaign was interrupted by a seven-month absence due to a knee injury.

The national team’s talismanic figurehead, there is a heavy weight of expectation on the forward’s shoulders. Up until last year’s injury, his rise had been meteoric but he now faces the uncertainty of recovering from a serious injury. It took less than two weeks in April to get back on the scoresheet, so things look positive.

Lucho has now been handed the vacant and iconic number 7 shirt by Jürgen Klopp — firm evidence of the importance of the role he is expected to play this season. With Liverpool seeking to regain their place in the top four, Díaz will be hoping to emulate former #7 legends Dalglish, Keegan and Suárez and delight the Kop in being a key part of their campaign.

3. Jhon Jader Durán – Aston Villa

The youngest ever international signing in MLS history, teenager Durán joined Aston VIlla in January 2023 from the Chicago Fire and finds himself entering the new season with the task of securing the second striker spot behind Ollie Watkins and incoming Moussa Diaby.

Durán — who failed to score in 12 substitute appearances for Villa last season — has competition from Cameron Archer, who returns to Villa Park having impressed on loan with 12 goals in the Championship for Michael Carrick’s Middlesborough.

Having achieved both his first senior international appearance and goal for Colombia in the last 12 months, Durán will be hoping to emulate compatriot and Villa cult hero Juan Pablo Ángel in making an impact for the Midlands club.

4. Jefferson Lerma – Crystal Palace

After five seasons with Bournemouth since joining for a club record £30 million (COP$150bn) in 2018, defensive midfielder Lerma has made the switch to Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace on a free transfer for 23/24.

Since leaving Atlético Huila, Lerma has spent most of his career in England after a three-year spell in Spain with Levante. The Vallecaucano clearly likes the English league, although it seems far removed from his birthplace of El Cerrito.

The hope for the Eagles will be that 28-year-old Lerma, who has appeared 35 times for Los Cafeteros, will build an effective partnership at the base of midfield with Cheick Doucouré that will allow exciting talents Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise the freedom to press forward.

5. Davinson Sánchez – Tottenham Hotspur

Entering his seventh consecutive season with the club, centre-back Sánchez has an outside chance of becoming the most experienced Colombia player in Premier League history should he be able to consolidate his position in the Spurs backline.

However, following an embarrassing performance that saw him substituted in a 3-2 loss to Bournemouth in April after having come on just 23 minutes before, Sanchez’s relationship with the Spurs fan base remains on rocky ground. At the time of writing, the transfer rumour mill considers a move to Spartak Moscow a possibility.

But there is hope — a notable performance in a pre-season friendly against Barcelona on 8 August has some now thinking that there might be a role to play for him in the perennially-transitioning Spurs under gruff new Aussie manager Ange Postecoglou who favours four at the back.

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Needing just a point to qualify as group winners, Colombia were stunned as Anissa Lahmari scored the only goal of the game in Perth to snatch victory. That left Las Cafeteras relying on a draw or South Korea win in the other match to top group H.  

A sluggish first half from Colombia saw them fail to register a shot on target or win a single corner kick from more than 60 per cent of the possession. A clumsy injury time foul by Carolina Arias on Ibtissam Jraïdi led to the awarding of a penalty which — though saved by Catalina Pérez — saw Morocco first to the rebounding ball and Lahrami tucking away to ensure that the African team took a slim lead into the break.

Colombia brightened up in the second half, with Daniela Montoya’s low shot only saved by the outstretched foot of Moroccan keeper Khadija Er-Rmichi. Talisman Linda Caicedo later forced a stunning save from Er-Rmichi — though she had just strayed offside — and Mayra Ramírez struck the post minutes later following Leicy Santos’ brilliant through ball from midfield.

The increased pressure was not enough to bring parity, however, and secure the single point that Colombia needed to ensure qualification as Group H winners through their own efforts. All eyes then turned to the Germany-South Korea match, well into nearly quarter of an hour’s added time.

South Korea withstood heavy pressure from Germany, consigning the two-time champions to third-place and no cigar. Instead, Morocco pipped them to the post with 6 points despite having lost heavily to the Germans in their opening game. It means the two lowest ranked teams, Colombia (25^th) and Morocco (72^nd) qualify ahead of South Korea (17^th) and Germany (2^nd).

Focus now turns to the knockout stage, with Colombia’s match against surprise Group F runners-up Jamaica kicking off in Melbourne at 03:00 Colombian time on Tuesday 8 August. Get your cheese and hot chocolate ready to keep you warm for that kick off, and a tinto or two to keep you awake.

The winners face a tough potential quarter-final tie with tournament favourites England, who  knocked out Colombia on penalties in a hot-tempered clash in the men’s World Cup in 2018.

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Freddy Rincón died on Wednesday, aged 55. The former captain of the Colombian national team succumbed to the severe injuries he sustained in a car crash in Cali in the early hours of Monday morning.

Rincón was taken to hospital with severe head trauma, and died two days later from his injuries. It seems the car had jumped a red light and was hit by a bus at full speed. The bus driver and three other passengers in the car were also injured. According to the hospital, none of them are in critical condition. 

Rincón one of the most famous Colombian footballers of all-time

Freddy Eusebio Rincón Valencia became world famous in the nineties as captain of the golden generation of Colombian football. The creative central midfielder represented los cafeteros in three different World Cup championships. He played alongside other stars like Carlos “el pibe” Valderrama, Andrés Escobar and Tino Asprilla. Rincón and Valderrama still share the record of most World Cup matches played for Colombia, with 10 games each.

Rincón is most remembered for the 1-1 against Germany in the 1990 World Cup. It was the first time in history Colombia had reached the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Another memorable moment became known as el cinco cero. In a 1993 World Cup qualification match in the United States, Colombia recorded a famous 5-0 victory over Maradona’s Argentina with two goals from a prolific Rincón. 

Freddy Rincón’s club career included spells at Napoli and Real Madrid

Born in Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Freddy Rincón was brought to Bogotá by an Independiente Santa Fe representative and made his professional debut for that club in 1986. He quickly became one of the best players in the league, and moved to América de Cali, at that point one of the biggest clubs in South America. After winning several titles with América, Rincón moved to Brazil to play for Palmeiras. Soon after el cinco cero he went to Europe to play for Napoli. 

After a successful season at Napoli, Real Madrid signed the gracious central midfielder, making him the first Colombian to feature in the Champions League. In Spain, he suffered from racist abuse from sections of Real Madrid fans. The celebrated footballer didn’t feel he got a serious chance there, so he moved back to Brazil where he became captain of Corinthians. Rincón led his team to victory in the World Cup for Clubs in 2000. 

After his active career, Rincón came back to professional football in short spells in different manager and assistant manager positions. However, he was very much on the sidelines and hasn’t been actively involved in football since he left Millonarios in 2019. Nonetheless Rincón left his mark on generations of Colombian football and will be mourned by many.

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Last Thursday, Colombia finally managed to score a goal again, after seven World Cup qualifiers and 685 minutes without finding the back of the net. The 3-0 victory over Bolivia kept their World Cup hopes alive, but the chances of making it are still small as Colombia depend on Paraguay getting a result in Peru. 

In Barranquilla, it was Luis Díaz who broke the 685-minute streak without scoring a goal in the World Cup qualifiers. The Liverpool winger, undoubtedly Colombia’s best player at this moment, brought a sigh of relief to Colombia on Thursday, with the opening goal just before half-time. Colombia finally cruised to a 3-0 victory, with the away side not getting a single chance. 

Colombia – Venezuela, neighbourly rivalry

Colombia finally scored and never really had problems in Barranquilla. Venezuela, however, seem a tougher nut to crack than Bolivia. The neighbouring country have never qualified for a World Cup and is one of the weakest teams in South America, but Colombia have historically struggled against Venezuela and with Colombia’s successful former coach José Pékerman now in charge of the Venezuelan national team, los Cafeteros won’t expect an easy match here.  

The expectations are that manager Reinaldo Rueda will field a similar starting line up as the one we saw against Bolivia. Whether we will see Wilmar Barrios in the starting line up again is still a question mark. The holding midfielder plays in Russia at Zenith St Petersburg and didn’t feature against Bolivia, but is normally one of the first ones to appear on the match form. 

James Rodríguez is far from the level he showed in his best days, but is still the creative brain of this Colombia, so he is expected to start again. Juan Fernando Quintero, who is second in line on the number ten position, picked up a knock and is another question mark for this game. Colombia’s hopes, however, are mostly pinned on a combination Luis Diaz’s genius and Paraguay.

Maths of Colombia making the World Cup

Even if Colombia win this game against Venezuela, they still need a hand from Paraguay. Colombia are sixth in the group and trail number five Peru by one point. Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador and Uruguay have already grabbed a direct spot for the World Cup, but the fifth in the group will get another chance in a play-off against the number five from Asia, with Australia being the most likely candidate to take that spot. 

If Colombia beat Venezuela this Tuesday, they still need to overtake Peru and that can only happen if Peru don’t beat Paraguay in Lima at the same time. Even a draw in Venezuela could be enough, but only if Paraguay beat Peru and on top of that without Chile, currently sitting in seventh place with one fewer point than Colombia, winning at home to Uruguay. 

Venezuela vs Colombia, March 29th at 6:30 in Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela.

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After the defeat against Peru in January, Colombia’s outlook on qualifying for their third World Cup in a row is not good. Manager Reinaldo Rueda had a decent start to his return to the national team, but with four points from the last seven qualifiers, they find themselves in a place where they depend on results from the other contenders. Los Cafeteros need Uruguay and/or Peru to drop points in both their games, Chile to not beat Brazil and most importantly, the match against Bolivia is a must-win, and they need to be flawless against Venezuela too. 

Who will have to do it for Colombia vs Bolivia and Venezuela?

The squad is commanded by Luis Díaz. El guajiro earned a transfer to Liverpool in January and has settled in without any problems at one of the strong candidates for the Champions League. They are without Yerry Mina and Radamel Falcao, who both have to miss this game due to injury, but Carlos Cuesta, who left a great impression in the Colombia matches last October, is back from injury and will surely feature as centre back. Familiar faces like James Rodríguez, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado and David Ospina are all expected to start as well. 

At first sight, Colombia’s schedule for this international break seems doable. Bolivia have collected 15 points so far, but only two of them came outside 3600 metres La Paz, so in hot and humid Barranquilla little is expected from them. Venezuela are bottom of the group with ten points, but Colombia have a bit of rivalry with the neighbours and barely ever have an easy game against arguably the worst team in the South American qualification tournament. On top of that, Venezuela signed a familiar face as their new manager with José Nestor Pékerman. 

For six years Pékerman was in charge of Colombia and they were the best days in recent history. Pékerman lead them to two World Cups, but the people in charge of the federation were never really happy with the way he managed things and didn’t want to extend his contract. The Argentinian manager and the federation didn’t end on good terms, so the Argentinian manager will get his chance for revenge here. 

But before that becomes an issue, Colombia first need to get the full three points against Bolivia and hope Chile don’t beat Brazil to remain in contention for the World Cup. 

Colombia vs Bolivia, Thursday, March 24, 6:30pm in Barranquilla. 

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Five days after the slightly disappointing game in Brazil, Colombia will face Paraguay on Tuesday. Colombia’s defence against Brazil was mostly solid, even though the team was missing three key defenders through injury. But, just as with the previous games, los cafeteros barely created any opportunities. This meant that one moment of inattention decided the game. 

Paraguay is not in Brazil’s league though. It is almost bottom of the group and has very little chance of making it to the World Cup. In contrast, Colombia is still very much in the running for qualification — despite the lack of goals in the last four games. Tuesday’s match is where Colombia is expected to pick up some valuable points. 

Davinson Sánchez and William Tesillo’s strong defence against Brazil showed that manager Reinaldo Rueda is capable of making his defence work, even when he’s down several injured players. It won’t get any easier for this game as Johan Mojica has joined the list of unavailable defenders. The left back picked up a yellow card against Brazil and is suspended. However, there is no doubt about the replacement. Yairo Moreno, who played as central midfielder against Brazil, showed in September against Chile he is a great option for the left back position.

On the midfield, Rueda faces another problem. Wilmar Barrios, arguably Colombia’s most important player in this qualifying cycle, shares Mojica’s fate and is suspended. Against a weaker Paraguayan side, Rueda could opt for more football from the back with Victor Cantillo. But the biggest question is, will James Rodríguez play from kick-off? The iconic number ten had only played four games in six months before his fifteen minutes against Brazil last week. His fitness is far from his best years, but with his creativity, he could prove a vital solution for the lack of goals in the past matches. 

Miguel Borja is expected to start in the centre of attack in favour of Duván Zapata. Borja scored twice in the last home game he took part in against Chile. Plus, after several years with Junior in Barranquilla, the striker knows the Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez stadium through and through. 

A bad result against Paraguay wouldn’t see Colombia eliminated. But it would seriously complicate Colombia’s aspirations to go to the World Cup in Qatar. With several players injured and suspended, it won’t be an easy game. But it’s still a great opportunity to get some much-needed points and hopefully a few goals.

The kick-off for Colombia vs Paraguay is this Tuesday, November 16 at 6 pm in Barranquilla.

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