FIFA U20 World Cup Preview: Colombia

Colombia haven't built themselves to be a competition favourites over the past few weeks. The question now is whether they can replicate the performances which saw them finish runners up in the 2013 SudAmericano U20.

Carlos Restrepo's side are far from pre-tournament favourites for the competition but will hope to carry on the recent rise for the Colombian nation on the international football scene.

It's almost one year since the start of the 2014 Brazil World Cup. That was the first senior competition in a decade where Colombia showed their star quality, as they reached the quarter-finals of sport's biggest competition.

Can it be the Colombia U20 side, once more, to produce the players for the new era of Colombian football?

Background

Differentiating the senior side and the under-20's form isn't an easy task. Restrepo has guided Los Cafeteros Jovenes to just three losses in the past 12 games.

Colombia's youth sides have been on the rise with the senior side. In 2013. Victory was theirs in 2013 as they lifted the SudAmericano U20. This year, in January and February, they came close to retaining the competition, falling at the final hurdle to Argentina.

That tournament, in Uruguay, may be a signal of a bright future for the U20 side of 2015. Under Restrepo they've played 13 times, winning 6, drawing 4 and losing 3.

It will be a difficult challenge for this side to replicate the victory in 2013 and also to try and take the form built up in the SudAmericano into the World Cup. The challenge they face in teams like Portugal, Germany and the United States of America is equal to that of Argentina and Brazil, the former beat them in the SudAmericano.

SudAmericano

It was a tournament to remember for Colombia. They went in as the reigning Champions, winning in 2013. They had broken the Brazilian dominance that had seen every level of football in South America be dominated by the continent's biggest country, the second home of football.

Although they couldn't quite go the distance, they came close.

An opening day loss to Uruguay (who eventually finished third) was a surprise for Restrepo's side, who had beaten Uruguay in a friendly in their last warm up match. However, it was quickly forgotten as they romped to a 3-0 victory over Chile.

A nervy affair, not expectedly so, saw them narrowly beat Venezuela before they faced the real challenge of the tournament, in Brazil.

If anything, the Brazil U20 side needed to prove the nation could bounce back from the senior World Cup embarrassment, losing 7-1 to Germany. Colombia faced that Brazil side and lost 2-1 in the World Cup, 6 months later, the scoreline was reflected in the youth game.

It took two games for Los Cafeteros Jovenes to find their rhythm again, drawing to Paraguay (runners up in 2013) and Argentina (eventual winners). Yet, rhythm they found as Peru were on the wrong end of a 3-1 victory. Colombia continued that vein of form with a draw to Uruguay before hitting Brazil out of the water with a 3-0 win in the final game. Due to the nature of the tournament, Colombia finished second in the final group, being beaten to the crown of South American Champions by an impressive Argentina team, who are in Group B.

Pre-tournament friendlies

Los Cafeteros Jovenes travel to New Zealand on the back of a loss against Ghana U20, in Group B. Before that, however, they looked ready for to be one of the dark horses of the World Cup, beating Mexico 3-1.

RESULTS

The past few months have been a mixture of success and surprise disappointment for Colombia.

24.05.2015 International Friendly - Ghana U20 2-0 Colombia U20
21.05.2015 International Friendly - Colombia U20 3-1 Mexico U20
07.02.2015 SudAmericano U20 - Brazil U20 0-3 Colombia U20
05.02.2015 SudAmericano U20 - Uruguay U20 0-0 Colombia U20
01.02.2015 SudAmericano U20 - Peru U20 1-3 Colombia U20
29.01.2015 SudAmericano U20 - Argentina U20 1-1 Colombia U20
26.01.2015 SudAmericano U20 - Paraguay U20 0-0 Colombia U20
23.01.2015 SudAmericano U20 - Colombia U20 1-2 Brazil U20
21.01.2015 SudAmericano U20 - Venezuela U20 0-1 Colombia U20
19.01.2015 SudAmericano U20 - Colombia U20 3-0 Chile U20
16.01.2015 SudAmericano U20 - Uruguay U20 1-0 Colombia U20
12.10.2014 International Friendly - Uruguay U20 0-2 Colombia U20

the squad

Carlos Alberto Restrepo has selected a squad with just two youngsters playing abroad in it. Andres Tello and Alexis Zapata are the partnership playing in Italy who have been selected and the team will look towards them for the experience of facing Europe's best youth players.

Tello is currently learning his trade at Juventus and has already laid a marker down for a successful career in Europe. He moved to the Italian Champions, their fourth victory in a row, on a loan move in January and will return to Envigado on June 30th. In his 6 month spell at the club he played 7 times for Juventus B in the Primavera A. There is a view for a permanent move to Juventus in his loan deal at the club but even if he returns to Envigado, he will be in safe hands. James Rodriguez, Fredy Guarin and Juan Quintero all developed in their youth system.

His Colombia teammate, Zapata, has had a longer spell on the biggest footballing continent. In January 2014 he moved from Envigado, like Tello, to Granada. Within the day, he was loaned out to Sassuolo, where he made 4 appearances for the club in the Viareggio cup, scoring thrice.

On his return to Granada, he quickly had to pack his bags again. Once more, an Italian club wanted him. Yet this time, Udinese wanted him on a permanent basis and signed him in July 2014 for an undisclosed fee. At the club, he's made his senior football debut in Serie A, coming on as a substitute for Udinese against Empoli last August. He also played 6 times in Primavera B, scoring twice, as well as making two appearances in the Coppa Primavera, where he scored once.

Tello and Zapata are two of the best members of the squad, having earned their way into the European football scene already. Yet there are two more talents in the squad that have been playing well in Colombia recently.

Jeison Lucumi will be one of the player's to look out for in May/June's competition. After a brilliant first half to the season with America de Cali, Lucumi (often known as Steven Lucumi) has now been tipped to become the latest in the succession of South American players to be hand picked for Atletico Madrid. He had a stunning SudAmericano, scoring 4 times, and Diego Simeone is chasing him according to Tutto Mercato. The right-winger has also been of interest to PSV Eindhoven, which could be seen as another brilliant move, the Dutch champions often nurturing young talent well. If you're watching the tournament and see the player running with speed at the opposition of through the channels, waiting for the ball from his teammates, it could likely be Lucumi.

Davinson Sanchez hasn't been tipped on any other website but his performances in the Colombian First Division should spur him onto another impressive tournament. He was vital for Los Cafeteros in the 2015 SudAmericano, starting 8 games out of 8. He plays at Atletico Nacional and has played 8 times for them in the past two years, at the age of 18.

Predicted XI: Alvaro Montero; Jeison Angulo, Daniel Londono, Aldayr Hernandez, Juan Quintero; Andres Tello, Davinson Sanchez, Alexis Zapat, Jeison Lucumu; Carlos Ibarguen, Santo Borre.

Pre-tournament comments

Jeison Lucumi spoke to FIFA.com ahead of the tournament he is expected to make the difference in. As mentioned earlier, he's linked with Atletico Madrid but he's well rooted to the ground, and optimistic about Los Cafeteros' chances.

“We’ve got a solid foundation at the back, where we know how to defend and stay true to our identity as a team,” he explained. “We need to be more mobile up front, because when we are it makes life a lot easier for us.

“We’re going there with the idea of winning the trophy. We’re working hard and we know what our strengths and weaknesses are.”

“Everyone tells me to keep my feet on the ground and not to think about things that won’t help me,” he said. “When I visit my friends back home, they tell me, ‘Don’t get too big for your boots!’. I’m working hard so I can do the best I can for my teams, not for me personally. And if my teams do well, then so much the better for everyone.”

The talented youngster says his grandmother is one of his more trusted advisors due to her help at the start of his career; “She’s not a great football fan but when I lived with her and wanted to start training, she went out and found a team for me.”

Lucumi is a great fan of the Premier League, like most developing footballers, and thinks Wayne Rooney is someone to learn from; "He’s a fighter and he’s very direct. He carries the team and gives everything he has.”

Talking to FIFA.com, he told them of how confidence played a part in his success, “I’ve been playing in the second division since I was 16,” he explained. “I wouldn’t have done that if my coaches hadn’t given me confidence.”

Some Colombian football experts still wonder which foot is stronger for Lucumi, who uses the skill of both feet to prevent the opposition from planning against him, “My right is my stronger foot. I learned to use both by playing futsal. In training, Piscis (Colombia’s U-20 team coach Carlos Restrepo) always stresses how important it is to finish with quality.”

“When I began in the second division, they played me at full-back or out wide. Now I’m more of a wide man or forward.”

“I don’t know if I’m a go-to man for America [de Cali] and the U-20 national team but I do know what role I have to play for both sides. I’m getting used to it bit by bit I suppose, but I don’t like being in the media that much. I prefer to keep a low profile.”

Speaking of his life at home he said, “I love Playstation too. I’m always Real Madrid. I haven’t played myself yet because it would be a bit strange. I’d put myself up front if I could, though.”

When asked about the huge success other Colombians have had in football, like James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, Radamel Falcao and Fredy Guarin, he said “They’re great players and they’ve shown just how much talent they’ve got. They’ve opened the way for us, for the ones who are coming through.

“It’s a really tough challenge but I think I’ve got what it takes and I’m working towards that goal. Time will tell, but what I want to achieve first of all is to help America [de Cali] get back to the top flight in Colombia."