Colombia coach Lorenzo upset over extended half-time break for Shakira show
Sports
He wants the best version of his team
Argentina's Lionel Scaloni says he doesn't plan to break with his tried and tested formula
MIAMI (Reuters) – Colombia will seek their second continental title when they take on defending champions Argentina at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, but the clash will not be the only spectacle with Shakira doing the half-time show.
CONMEBOL confirmed the performance would last 20 minutes, and Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo said he disagreed with the decision to extend the break as it could affect the players' fitness, adding that South American football's governing body had sanctioned late arrivals on the pitch after half-time.
"Regarding the show, I hope all enjoy it, Shakira is an excellent artist. I found out today. I think it should be like any other game, the 15 minutes according to the rules," Lorenzo told a press conference on Saturday.
"When we have gone out at 16, we have been fined, now there is a show and we have to go out at 20 or 25, with the impact it can have on the players, they might cool down and we know what it costs those minutes of recovery in the dressing room."
The coach added he expected his team to play a flawless game to beat Argentina, and highlighted the role of veteran defender James Rodriguez, who has been crucial in the squad.
"If we hadn't done a good performance, we wouldn't be here. To beat Argentina, we have to be the best version of ourselves and multiply it,"
"James has had a very good tournament. We are lucky that he is doing well, that he has taken the leadership of the team and that the team have supported him. He is undoubtedly one of the best in the Copa [America]," Lorenzo said.
BEST VERSION OF COLOMBIA
Lorenzo said his team will need to be at the peak of their powers if they are to beat world champions Argentina and triumph in Sunday's Copa America final.
"We need to be the best Colombia, the best version, to beat Argentina, the champions of everything," Lorenzo said.
"To win against Argentina we have to be very well prepared, because they are the champions, it will be a very demanding match," he added.
Colombia are unbeaten in their last 28 matches, with 25 of those results coming since Argentine coach Lorenzo took charge of the team.
But while the 58-year-old has seen his team continue to evolve and improve during his tenure, he knows that a final against Lionel Messi and Company will require plenty of adjustments during the game.
"Every day overcoming an obstacle means you grow and we have had several games with these types of situations that made us reinvent ourselves in the game and the team reacted," he said.
"We are in a very good moment, I think the team still has room for improvement and we hope to have a great performance tomorrow and take a step forward in that sense as well," he added.
WON’T BREAK WITH TRIED AND TESTED FORMULA
Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni says he doesn't plan to break with his tried and tested formula with a team that has been together throughout his reign, winning the Copa America in Brazil in 2021 before their triumph at the World Cup in Qatar the following year.
"It's a final and each one has its nuances. Our football is not going to change. One of the nice things about football is that you can plan a match and then it turns out very different. We have to try not to miss any detail," he said.
