‘Hungry’ Colombia up against the biggest beast

Following a long and challenging journey to reach another Copa America final, 2001 champions Colombia are now one hurdle away from adding the sweetest cherry on top after having achieved a record 28-match unbeaten run.

Los Cafeteros, however, are faced with the task of ousting holders and 15-time champions Argentina – the last team to beat Colombia when the two sides locked horns in a qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup, where Colombia did not qualify while Albiceleste went on to bag the most coveted prize in the sport.

In this edition, Colombia's path to the final has been defined by remarkable resilience and determination. After topping their group ahead of Brazil, they edged past Uruguay despite going down to 10 men in yesterday's incident-packed semifinal in North Carolina.

Facing them are a team that have not been pushed to the edge in the USA. Argentina conceded just one goal throughout the tournament and boast a balanced and experienced squad, marshalled by inspirational Lionel Messi at his career's twilight, oozing with self-belief on the back of three major titles in three years.

Historically, Colombia have struggled against Argentina, with just one win in their last 12 meetings. However, this underdogs status might work in Colombia's favour, allowing them to play with a sense of freedom and without the pressure that often accompanies the superior side on paper.

Their last Copa America encounter saw heroics from Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez making the difference in tiebreakers. Nevertheless, the Men in Yellow can also draw inspiration from a historic match dating back 30 years, when they handed Diego Maradona's Argentina one of their heaviest defeats ever, a 5-0 thrashing, in a crucial 1994 World Cup qualifiers fixture, advancing into the main event as a result.

A couple of individuals who could script Colombia's success are their coach Nestor Lorenzo, who has guided the side in 25 unbeaten matches, and their talismanic captain James Rodriguez. With Lorenzo having been an assistant coach for Argentina, the 58-year-old is relishing the match-up with his homeland, up against compatriot and counterpart Lionel Scaloni.

"This is going to be very nice. I am going to be competing with players I met during my career and who I admire a lot," said Lorenzo after beating Uruguay, the charges of revered Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa.

"This is a group that wants to be a protagonist, that wants to win something, that is hungry and that is growing. We are moving forward," he added.

On the individual side of things, Lorenzo will bank on Rodriguez to play the protagonist-in-chief. The in-form playmaker yesterday became the first player to register six assists in a single edition of the competition, surpassing Messi's five assists in 2021.

The final, set to take place in Miami three days later (Monday 6 am, Bangladesh time), will be the first-ever Copa America final meeting between these two sides. While Argentina are seen as favourites to seal a record 16th title, Colombia's solid form leading up to their second-ever final could help etch their name in football folklore once again.