The Colombia national football team ended the October FIFA window with a commanding victory. Colombia beat Peru 2-0 in a friendly played on Sunday at Nu Stadium in Miami, with goals from Samuel Velásquez and Daniel Arcila.
This result improves the team's recent form, which now reads two wins, two draws, and one loss in their last five outings. The win comes after a loss to Paraguay and a draw with Mexico last week. Head coach Néstor Lorenzo used the match to assess several players with an eye on the upcoming Copa América and World Cup cycles.
A first half of chances
The match started with a rhythm disrupted by fouls. Peru had the first clear chance in the 13th minute, but Piero Magallanes misdirected his shot. Colombia responded and created their best moments late in the first half. Yaser Asprilla missed a big opportunity after a quick transition in the 38th minute, and Luis Suárez wasted another in the 42nd after a through ball from Asprilla. The first half ended goalless but with a sense that Colombia was close.
The second half was different. Samuel Velásquez broke the deadlock in the 58th minute. The player collected a rebound inside the box and shot first-time to beat goalkeeper Pedro Gallese. The numerical advantage came soon after, when Peru's Miguel Araujo was shown a red card for a serious foul in the 63rd minute.
With an extra man, Colombia dominated and searched for a second goal. Richard Ríos tested Gallese with a free-kick, and Kevin Viveros forced another fine save from the keeper in the 81st minute. The clincher came in stoppage time. Juan Manuel Rengifo, one of the debutants, provided a precise cross for Daniel Arcila, who scored the definitive 2-0 in the 92nd minute.
Lorenzo assesses the squad
Néstor Lorenzo made rotations with the future in mind. “Lorenzo wants to give space to all those called up,” the manager explained about his philosophy for these friendlies. Kevin Mier started in goal due to the head injury suffered by Aldair Quintana against Paraguay. Besides Rengifo and Arcila, others like Royer Caicedo, Óscar Perea, and Álvaro Angulo got minutes in what was a night of experimentation.
The manager's stated objective was to win by two or three goals, and the team partly delivered. The victory leaves a positive feeling and useful data to analyze on our squad page. The next official fixture will be a 2030 World Cup qualifier. Colombia will host Chile at home on November 13th, a match for which the team can already check our fixtures.
Background and full detail: El Tiempo Deportes
