Nestor Lorenzo was pleased with how Colombia’s young talents adjusted during their first international break since the World Cup, which concluded with a 2-0 victory against Peru.
Samuel Velasquez and Daniel Arcila both netted their first goals for the senior team as Lorenzo’s squad celebrated a well-earned win at Inter Miami’s Nu Stadium on Tuesday.
Colombia registered 1.53 expected goals from 16 shots, of which five were on target, while Peru struggled to hit the target with five attempts, resulting in an xG of just 0.36.
Peru faced a setback when substitute Miguel Araujo was sent off at 1-0 after carelessly losing possession to Camilo Duran and subsequently fouling him as the last defender.
Lorenzo opted not to include star forward Luis Diaz in the current squad, having reached an agreement with Bayern Munich for him to take a break, while former captain James Rodriguez announced his retirement from international play last month.
Despite Tuesday’s win coming after a 1-1 draw with Mexico and a 1-0 loss to Paraguay, Lorenzo feels the past few weeks have laid crucial groundwork for the future of Los Cafeteros.
“I’m pleased with the attitude and progress we’ve made these last 15 days with the newcomers,” Lorenzo remarked after the match.
“Throughout the three games, we maintained a structure that helped the young players adapt. While there were moments of fluidity, I would have liked us to be more cohesive, especially in the earlier matches where we finished poorly.”
ยก๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฏ ๐ฝ๐๐ป๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ถ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ! V๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐๐ผ ยก๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ, ๐พ๐๐ฒฬ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ป ๐น๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ! #ConOrgulloColombiano๐จ๐ด https://t.co/V8t9bMszPs
โ Selecciรณn Colombia (@FCFSeleccionCol) October 7, 2026
Out of the 26 players called up by Lorenzo, only Royer Caicedo and Oscar Perea did not get any playing time during the three matches.
With upcoming home and away friendlies against Chile next month, the Colombia coach intends to keep trying out new players.
“The overall assessment is very positive, as even those who didn’t play remained close to us and showed they have the potential to be called upon when the team requires it,” Lorenzo stated.
Fan Take: This news is significant for soccer enthusiasts as it highlights Colombia’s commitment to nurturing young talent and building a competitive future team. The successes and challenges faced during these matches may set the tone for upcoming tournaments and demonstrate the evolution of Colombian soccer on the international stage.
Source: www.soccernews.com
