Colombia held onto 11th place in the FIFA world rankings following a 1-1 friendly draw with Mexico in Baltimore. The match, which kicked off a new cycle under head coach Néstor Lorenzo, saw Luis Javier Suárez score in the first half before Gilberto Mora equalised for Mexico after the break.
The result cost both teams 0.14 ranking points. Spain, Argentina and France occupy the top three spots, while Brazil dropped to sixth and Morocco rose to fifth.
Lorenzo assesses the start
Manager Néstor Lorenzo reviewed his team's performance after the final whistle. "In the first half, Mexico were better than us, we were late to the pressing. In the second half, we matched them." said the coach. Lorenzo also highlighted the debutants, noting that "we made correctable mistakes, but the debut of the lads who came on was good and there is a future".
In the match, Carlos Andrés Gómez started on the right wing and Álvaro Angulo at left-back. The national team is now unbeaten in five matches, with a run of two wins and three draws.
Next up: Paraguay
The squad is already preparing for its next opponent. Colombia host Paraguay on October 3rd at Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey, with kick-off set for 7:00 p.m. Colombia time. The last meeting between the two, in March last year, ended in a 2-2 draw. Lorenzo and his staff will be targeting a first win of this new period against a direct rival in the World Cup qualifying race. The full squad list for this challenge is available in our squad section.
Background and full detail: MARCA
