The Colombian players’ ability to adapt to different situations will be crucial when they play Switzerland in their World Cup last-16 match on Tuesday, coach Nestor Lorenzo said.
Colombia have only conceded one goal in the tournament so far, with Lorenzo making many tactical and positional shifts in the match that have kept his attack sharp.
«I believe it is crucial for us to have these types of players, players who interpret the game simply and who know how to behave. They understand the game, they understand the game,» Lorenzo told a news conference on Monday.
«On top of the fact that they have the physical and technical capacity that allows greater versatility, they understand the game. They understand the different moments and it allows the team to grow. I think we have a lot of these types of players who are very versatile.»
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The unbeaten Colombians have crisscrossed the continent, playing their first two games in Mexico, then heading to Miami and Kansas before landing across the border in Canada for their last 16 showdown with the Swiss.
«It’s not a good thing to travel so much. All the time changes, the weather changes, because we play at high altitude and high humidity, and also in dry weather. We are pretty much exposed to all kinds of changes. We knew it would be like this,» Lorenzo said.
«The World Cup is being held in three countries on such a big continent. It could have happened to anyone, and it happened to us too. We just have to accept the situation, try to solve it day by day and give our best performance.»
The 60-year-old coach said he expected a tough challenge from Murat Yakin’s side.
«It will require a lot of tactical discipline because they are quite organized, good in attack, good in defense, they have a lot of actions completely systematized because their head coach has been with them for four or five years, I believe,» he explained.
“They have played in two World Cups, some went to Qatar (in 2022). They are very experienced, they play in their (English) Premier League and in Italy, so it will be a tough game against a pretty good team.”
Published on July 7, 2026
