Germany’s next international opponent Colombia (Tuesday, June 20th, 2023, 8.45 p.m., live in the Sportschau audio reportage) is on the upswing after missing the World Cup in Qatar and is even dreaming of titles again. Most recently, hopeful Luis Diaz also celebrated his comeback.
After the recent successes, the hope of great times for the Colombian national soccer team is back. Seven games without defeat under coach Néstor Lorenzo give coach and fans confidence and let them dream of success and even titles before the game against the battered German team. “We want to qualify for the next World Cup and play a good Copa America“, Lorenzo said recently and added: “Of course we want to win them.“Colombia has done that once before – in 2001.
The 57-year-old Argentinian Lorenzo took over the “Cafeteros” in 2022. After the missed World Cup in Qatar, the trend in Colombia – unlike the DFB team – was upwards. Thanks to the winning goalscorer Rafael Borré from Eintracht Frankfurt, the Latin Americans celebrated a 2-1 victory against the World Cup round of 16 and Germany conquerors Japan. Colombia defeated Iraq last Friday.
Luis Díaz – Colombia’s new beacon of hope
When it was 1-0, Luis Díaz made his international comeback after a long forced break due to a knee injury. The offensive man from Liverpool FC with coach Jürgen Klopp is one of the great hopes that should lead the football-loving country back to its old strength. Under coach José Pekerman, the team led by future Bayern professional James Rodríguez reached the quarter-finals at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Four years later in Russia, Colombia survived the group stage.
The 26-year-old Diaz has followed the same path as his famously colorful Sturm predecessors Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao, who also made their breakthrough in Europe at FC Porto. Like Diaz, who was poached from Liverpool FC for 45 million euros last year. With his speed, bite and goal threat, the winger made Sadio Mané superfluous on Anfield Road. With his positive nature, he soon became one of the favorite characters in Jürgen Klopp’s team: “He can’t stop laughing in training.”
Raised in poor circumstances in Barranquilla
The beginning of his career was not easy, Diaz grew up in Barrancas, in the northeast corner of Colombia on the border with Venezuela. A poor mining region that is also home to many Wayuu tribes. “Lucho”, as he is known in his home country, was so weak as a youth player that his coaches thought he was malnourished. The coach of the U20 team at his hometown club Barranquilla fed him with a special diet, pasta for breakfast.
He won his first league title with Junior FC in 2017 and made his debut for the Colombian national team in 2019. At the Copa America two years ago, he was already the top scorer, along with Lionel Messi. For Porto he scored 14 goals in 18 games in a half series. The German defense, recently not always in the picture, should be warned.