Coach Leonel Alvarez will seek to mastermind another famous World Cup victory over Argentina Tuesday afternoon by again employing two forwards.
The tight-lipped coach revealed in his pre-match address to the press Monday that he will wait until the last minute to announce his starting eleven.
But the player-turned-coach who 18 years ago helped his country on the pitch to a shock 5-0 away win over the twice-crowned world champions, suggested he will again field a two-pronged attack.
“I will keep analyzing, but I practically have the team ready. I think the safest thing is to play with two men up front,” Alvarez said during baking heat at the team’s hotel in Barranquilla.
One man who hasn’t been quite so coy over his pre-match preparations is midfield battler Gustavo Bolivar. The Deportes Tolima enforcer will be responsible for keeping Barcelona wizard Lionel Messi quiet, but Bolivar incredulously dismissed the Argentinian’s threat by labeling his counterpart “an ordinary player.”
“Messi is ranked as one of the best players in the world, but he’s an ordinary player. He’s a player like any one of us. He knows a lot with the ball, but then so do we,” the bold midfielder said.
Fredy Guarin, Colombia’s goalscorer in the 1-1 draw with Venezuela last Friday will definitely not feature tomorrow after withdrawing from the squad through injury. Defender Amaranto Perea will also miss out through suspension while Camilo Zuniga will play after arriving to join the squad following the birth of his daughter.
Colombia’s likely starting 11: David Ospina; Camilo Zuñiga, Aquivaldo Mosquera, Mario Yepes y Pablo Armero; Gustavo Bolivar, Abel Aguilar, Dorlan Pabon, James Rodriguez; Adrian Ramos y Jackson Martinez.