La Maracanã is bouncing in full force. Pockets of blue are roaring in a sea of yellow and red as the flickering lights from a thousand lenses capture a duel for the ages. The Round of 16 of the 2014 World Cup. A South American classic: Uruguay vs. Colombia. Twenty-eight minutes in, a wayward clearance from the Uruguayan box was headed back toward 22-year-old James Rodríguez, who in one motion gently caressed the ball from his left shoulder onto his left foot before striking it toward goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. A shot that swallowed a stadium for a few seconds, a collective gasp as the ball kissed the underside of the crossbar. The net rattled, Muslera was beaten and a star was born. If the dictionary had pictures, the word “volley” would have this image next to it. Rodríguez had just scored the goal of the tournament. He went on to win the Golden Boot as the World Cup’s top scorer with six goals, despite Colombia falling short to host Brazil in the quarterfinals. For context, he had outscored Lionel Messi, Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. and the two previous winners, Spain and Italy. Ten years after that magical Maracanã moment, James Rodríguez is one game away from lifting the Copa América.
A breakthrough World Cup campaign usually merits a big move. Take Kylian Mbappé, for instance. Despite the French captain having a reputation as a rising star in the Paris suburbs, it wasn’t until the 2018 World Cup that clubs went to war for his signature. Similarly, in 2014, Rodríguez was on every top club’s wishlist. And one in particular stood out: Real Madrid. Madrid’s president Florentino Perez had a reputation for assembling the game’s greatest stars in the Spanish capital. His first wave of stars included Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and even Luís Figo, who formerly played for rival Barcelona. His second included Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Kaká and Gareth Bale to name a few.
Rodríguez was the next “Galáctico,” a term used to describe Madrid’s stellar signings. But unlike in international play, Rodríguez struggled to stamp his authority in the Bernabéu, not because he lacked talent but rather because the squad was oversaturated with it, especially in midfield. He competed with Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez (Isco), Toni Kroos, Luca Modrić and Sami Khedira in his first season. Following this period, he was sent on a loan spell to Bayern Munich and was later moved to Everton in 2020. He played for Qatari club Al-Rayyan SC and Greek club Olympiacos before finding a home for São Paulo last year.
Despite his declining club career, this year’s Copa América has been a nostalgic reminder of the match-winning brilliance of Rodríguez. Colombia began their campaign with back-to-back wins against Paraguay and Costa Rica before earning a hard-fought draw against Brazil. Although Rodríguez registered three assists in the group stage, his standout performance came in the 5–0 win over Panama in the quarterfinals as he bagged two assists and a goal within the first half.
In an era where the traditional No. 10 position has declined, as tactical philosophies shifted to systems where attacks are driven from the wings and creative players are expected to track back and help defensively, Rodríguez is a reminder that the central attacking role is still valuable if used in the right setup. Rodríguez is supported by coach Nestor Lorenzo’s system, where Colombia attacks centrally with wingers moving into direct lanes to support Rodríguez, who plays between them. Thus, Rodríguez has passing options and can retreat into space to shoot as well. Without the ball, they switch to a 4–4–2, with Rodríguez and another player forming the first pressing block. This is unlike other nations that leave a lone frontman who becomes easy to tire and pass around. Cristiano Ronaldo with Portugal is an example. Colombia is energetic and dynamic, much like Ryan Castro’s “El Ritmo Que Nos Une,” which is serving as the team’s anthem for the tournament.
Just like in 2014, Uruguay stood in Colombia’s path on the road to hardware. This year’s version of “La Celeste” was much stronger, anchored by current Real Madrid midfield star Federico Valverde. But, like in Brazil a decade ago, the heated and controversial contest ended in Colombian victory. Tears of joy showed as Colombia secured their first final in 23 years where they will face Messi and Argentina. The only goal of the game came from a Rodríguez corner powerfully headed in by Jefferson Lerma which took his assist tally to six, breaking Messi’s record. A date with destiny awaits Colombia and James Rodríguez, an opportunity of a lifetime for a squad bursting with talent and a captain who knows what it means to shine on the grandest stage of all.
