The veteran coach says that the Real Madrid ace is one of the best players on the planet and is delighted to have him fit to face Chile. Last meeting between the sides happened two years ago in the World Cup Qualifiers in Baranquilla, Colombia, and ended in a 3-3 draw, what was a remarkable comeback for the hosts who were 0-3 down at halftime.
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Pekerman is understandably thrilled by the attacking midfielder’s return to full fitness, as he believes the 24-year-old is key to Colombia’s hopes to collecting points from its daunting doubleheader against Chile and Argentina.
“These drugs, hidden inside these buses, were bound for Santiago de Chile and the method of doing it was by transporting it through a few tourists who were going to see the Colombia-Chile match”, Major General Rodrigo Gonzalez, Commander of the Region Four National Police of Colombia, told reporters. “With him, the team is something else”.
Pekerman added: ‘He is in great shape.
This one should be a really good game, I’m taking the overs though as we are getting a generous price. The buses were carrying fans headed south to watch their Los Cafeteros (literally The Coffee Growers, only the most ideal nickname for the team in the world!) play in a World Cup qualifying match on Thursday against Chile, giving authorities any number of reasons to search the buses throughout the 2,400 mile journey.
“We must counter the dynamism of Chile with tactical discipline”, he said.
“In the last qualification campaign we played excellent matches against Chile”.
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After an opening victory over Peru last month, Colombia slipped to a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Uruguay last time out – a game that also saw Juan Cuadrado sent off.
