Colombia’s hopes of winning their second Copa America title were dashed by Argentina on Sunday, but coach Nestor Lorenzo was proud of his side and said they had taken a tougher path to the final than their rivals.
Argentina secured their third consecutive major trophy after triumphs at the 2022 World Cup and 2021 Copa, courtesy an extra-time goal from Lautaro Martinez at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida.
Lorenzo told a media conference that his players had given their all in the tournament, which was hosted by the United States.
“They played six matches in 21 days. We started feeling the results,” he added.
“It’s not a complaint, but we hope for consistency, to safeguard the fitness of the players. We played the same amount of games as Argentina, having four less days of recovery. We had to play on the West Coast and the hottest areas with all the travelling.”
Colombia’s James Rodriguez, with six assists, was selected the best player of the tournament.
Sunday’s defeat was Colombia’s first since they lost to Argentina in February 2022 and Lorenzo said his team were just getting started.
“(Lionel) Scaloni has been with his team for seven years. I congratulate him. It is a spectacular result,” he added.
“We are just starting. Hopefully, we can play in the next final. We wish to qualify for the World Cup.”
Colombia are third in the South American qualifying table for the 2026 World Cup, with the next round of matches set for September.
