Argentina -1, Colombia -0.
Elation for the Argentinian players and their fans, dejection for the rival team and its captain.
It was a kind of Roberto Baggio moment for the Colombian midfielder and captain James Rodriguez on Sunday.
The reference was to the World Cup 1994 where a "man died standing."
When the Italian striker Baggio missed the most decisive penalty in 1994, he was named “the man who died standing” for his frozen stance after letting down his team.
Watching the red-eyed James Rodriguez, one was reminded of Baggio.
When he won the Golden Boot in the 2014 World Cup (though Colombia crashed out in the quarter finals), he was called ‘the next big thing.’
Diego Maradona actually argued that it was not Messi but Rodriguez who should have won the Golden Ball that year for his performances. He scored a goal in the tournament which won the Puskas that year. Then Real Madrid, his dream club, came calling. With all these achievements to his name, everyone thought that his career was on a upward climb. But little did anyone know of the tumultuous ride he was about to face.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, he did score some spectacular goals and was awarded La Liga's best midfielder award of 2015. Then came a period of injuries after which he could never find his previous form.
Under Zidane's reign, he could never find playing time. After this, came a series of loans ranging from Bayern and Everton to Qatari club Al Rayyan. Not finding the golden feet that could produce magic, he was written off by players and football pundits alike.
Last year, he joined Sao Paulo, a shift that does not seem to be going well, with the Colombian star scoring only two goals in 22 appearances.
His international career saw a setback under manager Reinaldo Rueda, who dropped him from the 2021 Copa America team due to lack of conditioning. Failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup led to him becoming despondent. He expressed his doubts about his future with the national team. Again the same fans who said he was destined for greatness started to call him out on his fitness and age. But they were wrong once again.
James made a dream comeback. He also had a coach who was ready to place his trust in him, Nestor Lorenzo.
Colombia went unbeaten for 28 matches under their captain. James was the centerpiece to the Colombian national team. He would start attacks that would end at the back of the other team's net. Though other players scored, each play started at the back of James’s head.
He led his team like a war general into the Copa America tournament, qualifying with ease. Even in the tournament, they dispatched teams with ease.
James was crucial to each win. With six assists and a goal, he broke records. But Messi's La Albiceleste beat them in the finals. However, this time he got the Golden Ball unlike the 2014 World Cup.
Like a fallen hero, he went to the stage to accept the award. On the verge of tears, he tried to smile for a photo with the ball shaped trophy which looked like a consolation prize.
At the end, even if he never got to touch Copa America glory, his performances will be etched in the minds of football fans forever.
