July 15, Beijing time, the smoke of the Copa America final has just cleared, Colombia's head coach Lorenzo delivered a heartfelt speech after the game. In the face of Argentina's victory in extra time, Lorenzo expressed his recognition of the team's efforts, but also confessed his regrets and dissatisfaction in the match.
Lorenzo began by praising the fighting spirit of the Colombian players: "In the last 21 days we have played six matches, each one full of challenges and hardships. The final is not just a soccer match, it's a physical challenge, a mental grind. Our players showed resilience and tireless effort from start to finish and I am proud of their performance."
Lorenzo then turned the conversation to his opponents, Argentina: "We are facing a team that is creating an era. In the past few years, they have experienced numerous setbacks and failures, including two Copa America finals and a World Cup final loss. However, under the leadership of Coach Scaloni, they did not give up, but chose to persevere and work hard. Today, they have successfully defended the Copa America, which is not just a victory for them individually, but for the whole of Argentine soccer. This is no longer a coincidence, but the beginning of an era. And we, as their opponents, have only just embarked on that path."
However, Lorenzo also expressed his dissatisfaction with some details during the match: "We played well in the first half, but something unusual happened at halftime. The two warm-ups combined with the excessively long halftime (which reached 25 minutes) definitely increased the tension for the young, inexperienced players and had an impact on our rhythm of play. In addition, we tried to keep up the intensity of the game, but the referee's call scale left us feeling a bit helpless. However, these are all part of the game and we can accept them and leave them for later discussion."
Finally, Lorenzo ended his speech with an expansive attitude: "Although we lost in the final, our players have given their all. They showed us the future and hope of Colombian soccer. We will learn from this tournament and continue to work hard to move forward. I believe that we will return with more maturity and strength in the coming matches."
