No World Cup goals, Colombia boss takes aim at Luis Suárez: "A…” | OneFootball

By securing a 1-0 win over the Congo national team, Colombia sealed qualification for the next stage of the 2026 World Cup. Top of Group K with six points from two wins in two matches, coach Néstor Lorenzo looked ahead to the clash with Portugal, the team’s next game.

“Portugal are a team a little more similar to us, in the sense that they look to take the initiative and keep possession of the ball. It is a different team from those we have faced,” he said, anticipating a match with different characteristics, which will determine the final positions in Group K.

Asked about Cristiano Ronaldo’s threat, Lorenzo acknowledged his quality but warned that the value of the Portuguese team does not come down to its captain alone. “Cristiano is a great player, you cannot afford to neglect him because he is one of the best finishers in the world. But Portugal are a complete team in every sense, it is not just about marking Cristiano,” he warned.

The coach rejected the idea that the game between Portugal and Colombia would serve to “prove” anything, preferring to focus on the continuous growth of his team. “Generally, when you want to prove something, things do not go well. We have to aim to improve day by day, so that the team takes on certain patterns that benefit its play,” he explained.

Néstor Lorenzo also highlighted the players’ ability to find attacking solutions and praised the performances of figures such as Luis Suárez, the Lions’ striker - who is expected to remain at the Club. “It was Suárez who occupied the two centre-backs to create space elsewhere and fought for every ball. He played a lot with his back to goal, but he also had a great game,” he noted.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.