CHARLOTTE, NC — Like an oasis in the heart of an arid desert, James Rodriguez is providing football brilliance at a 2024 Copa America otherwise devoid of any consistent star power.
As the likes of Darwin Nunez, Vinicius Jr, and even Lionel Messi misfire in front of goal throughout a tournament with more fouls and yellow cards than goal-scoring chances, the Colombian superstar has fans seeking out his re-lit wick amidst the darkened tunnel.
10 years ago, a suave and sexy Rodriguez burst onto the scene at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, winning the Golden Boot and earning a sensational move to Real Madrid. He was the hot new thing, the man of the hour.
Rodriguez's club career never took off, though, and for a decade he remained a one-time flash in the pan, unable to recreate his magic on the biggest stages. After leaving the Spanish capital in 2017, stints at Bayern Munich, Everton, Al Rayyan in Qatar, Olympiacos in Greece, and finally landing most recently at Brazilian club Sao Paulo where he's yet to find his footing.
Suddenly, on U.S. soil 10 years after first arriving on the international stage, with the Colombian legend largely a fading memory, he has exploded back on the scene, leading Los Cafeteros into the Copa America final and onto the precipice of international glory two days after his 33rd birthday.
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Colombia had fallen a long way from its dazzling run to the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals, where they narrowly lost to Brazil just before the Selecao's infamous 7-1 dismantling at the hands of Germany. They managed to scrape together a pair of third-place finishes at the Copa America since, but reached a low point when they failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup four years after an uninspiring Round of 16 exit in Russia 2018.
Then came new leadership in the form of new boss Nestor Lorenzo, a relatively inexperienced Argentine coach who has defibrillated Colombia back to life with Rodriguez at the heart of the turnaround. Colombia are suddenly in the midst of a sensational 28-game unbeaten streak that dates all the way back to early 2022, with Lorenzo having yet to suffer a single defeat in charge of the side.
Of course, one man cannot do it all — not at the 2014 World Cup, where Rodriguez had help from the likes of fellow superstars Radamel Falcao, David Ospina, and Juan Cuadrado, and not at the 2024 Copa America either. Only, this time there aren't any other superstars in the squad. Colombia in 2024 are the epitome of the idea that the whole is more than the sum of the parts, with a more mature and calculated Rodriguez at the center.
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"In 2014 James was the main striker, the top scorer, the man of the match many times," said Lorenzo after the win over Uruguay, "and at this moment he is also doing very well, accompanied by the whole group."
Even amidst the sudden unbeaten streak, Colombia had yet to truly reawaken until Rodriguez turned back the clock 10 years and rediscovered what saw fans fall in love with him in Brazil, what this Copa America has so desperately lacked: fun.
"I've been here for almost 13 years, wanting this," Rodriguez said after the Uruguay win that sent Colombia to the final. "We're happy."
James Rodriguez is, deep down at his core, just pure freakin' fun. The delicious through-balls, the pinged switches, the dazzling dribbles — even the sarcastic smile on his face as he walks away from a heated debate with the referee. James Rodriguez is having fun again, and so are we as viewers.
"I think it is a group that wants to be protagonists of this tournament," Lorenzo said. "They want to win, they are very hungry as players and eager to add elements to the match beyond the tactical side. I think we are at a pivotal moment. There are some weaknesses to overcome, but when you overcome those obstacles, that's how you can grow and evolve."
Don't think that's just fluff, either. A revitalized Rodriguez has crafted six assists for his Colombia teammates at the 2024 Copa America, three times as many as anyone else in the competition and a new Copa America record for a single edition, breaking Lionel Messi's mark of five. Rodriguez also leads the tournament in chances created, racking up 19 through the semifinals.
"Now he runs a little less, but he thinks a little more," Lozano said last week of the new James Rodriguez on display this summer. "It’s good for him. He’s well surrounded, and that’s what’s making him play well."
During the first half of the semifinal against Uruguay, the one-time wonderboy was again his glittering self, assisting Jefferson Lerma's opener with a pinpoint corner. Marcelo Bielsa had clearly instructed his side to eliminate the Colombian playmaker from their buildup, but they could do nothing to stop his dead-ball accuracy. The heavily pro-Colombia crowd lapped it up, right until Daniel Munoz's boneheaded dismissal changed the game and put Los Cafeteros on their heels.
Yet Colombia persisted, because that's what they've done throughout the last two years. They did so largely without Rodriguez on the field, hauled off after 62 minutes amidst tired legs and a desperate defensive task to come over the last half-hour. That part was not fun for Colombia, not in the slightest, but they managed to outlast Uruguay even in spite of two heinous misses by Mateus Uribe.
As the Colombia bench exploded onto the pitch at the full-time whistle, the joy was evident. Rodriguez broke down in tears as he hugged Luis Diaz and other teammates.
In typical CONMEBOL fashion, just as it had in the match, Rodriguez's moment was quickly extinguished by further events as a fight broke out when Uruguay players entered the Bank of America Stadium stands.
But make no mistake, today was James Rodriguez's day, and with it, his unique, one-of-a-kind career gets one more moment under the bright lights. For a few weeks this summer, his memorable World Cup run is being reborn right before our eyes, and it has Colombia on a collision course with history in the final four days from now.