James Rodriguez, seen pictured at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, will need a standout performance to guide Colombia to it’s first Copa America crown since 2001, when ‘Los Cafeteros’ hosted the tournament. Photo credit: Copa2014.gov.br via Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 Brazil, cropped from original.

Group A

Schedule:  United States (6/3 Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara), Paraguay (6/7 Rose Bowl, Pasadena), and Costa Rica (6/11 NRG Stadium, Houston)

Head Coach: José Pékerman

Best previous finish in Copa America: Champions (2001)

Players to keep an eye on: GK David Ospina (Arsenal/ENG) MID Juan Cuadrado (Juventus/ITA), MID James Rodríguez (Real Madrid/SPA) and FWD Carlos Bacca (A.C. Milan/ITA)

Outlook: Colombia comes into the Copa America Centenario as one of the favorites to win the tournament. With a talent-filled roster led by Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez and their opponents in Group A, Los Cafeteros are almost automatic to advance to the quarterfinals.

Should they win Group A, as expected, they would most-likely face a manageable Group B runner-up in Ecuador/Haiti/Peru and be the favorite in that match to reach the semifinals.

But there’s a reason they play the games.

Before we start thinking about the ‘what ifs’ like “what if Colombia finishes second in Group A?” or “what if Brazil finishes second in Group B and face Colombia in the quarters?,” let’s first address the biggest hurdle that could halt Colombia: itself.

Will Colombia be able to deal with the pressure of its expectations and reach the semifinal? (Which is an attainable realistic goal.) Who will step up for this Colombia squad?

The deeper Colombia advances in the tournament, the more they will need key players like James Rodriguez, Carlos Bacca and David Ospina to be the catalysts in propelling the team towards its hopes of reaching the final.

Last year, Colombia played Argentina (who finished second) to a scoreless draw before a heartbreaking elimination in the penalty shootout. In the 2011 version, Colombia won the group (that included hosts Argentina) but lost in the quarterfinal to Peru.

While Colombia was a team that won a lot of hearts at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brasil, some of the magic has worn off.

Goalkeeper David Ospina, who joined Arsenal after his performance at the World Cup, worked his way to the starting spot with the Gunners in his first season before being demoted in his second campaign due to the signing of Petr Čech.

James Rodriguez, the breakout player of the previous World Cup, has fallen out of favor at 2015-16 UEFA Champions League Winners Real Madrid under the management of Zinedine Zidane and may switch clubs this summer.

Even Juan Cuadrado, who saw a 2015 permanent move from Fiorentina to Chelsea, struggled to fit in with a squad with which he eventually won the Premier League and F.A. Cup. Cuadrado has since seen his form rejuvenated with a return to Italian football as a loanee to Juventus.

The bottom line is simple. Colombia cannot hide behind excuses.

Yes, the squad doesn’t arrive in the best form possible but that doesn’t take away the potential of this squad to win the tournament. Pekerman is lauded for his impressive victories so far with Colombia, maybe the most impressive is less then a month away.

23-Man Roster:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Cristian Bonilla (Atlético Nacional, COL), David Ospina (Arsenal, ENG), Róbinson Zapata (Santa Fe, COL)

DEFENDERS (8): Felipe Aguilar (Atlético Nacional, COL), Santiago Arias (PSV, NED), Farid Díaz (Atlético Nacional, COL), Frank Fabra (Boca Juniors, ARG), Stefan Medina (Pachuca, MEX), Jeison Murillo (Inter Milan, ITA), Yerry Mina (Santa Fe, COL), Cristián Zapata (AC Milan, ITA)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Edwin Cardona (Monterrey, MEX), Guillermo Celis (Junior, COL), Juan Cuadrado (Juventus, ITA), Sebastián Pérez (Atlético Nacional, COL), Andrés Felipe Roa (Deportivo Cali, COL), James Rodríguez (Real Madrid, ESP), Carlos Sánchez (Aston Villa, ENG), Daniel Torres (Independiente Medellín, COL)

FORWARDS (4): Carlos Bacca (AC Milan, ITA), Roger Martínez (Racing Club, ARG), Marlos Moreno (Atlético Nacional, COL), Dayro Moreno (Club Tijuana, MEX)

Did you know? Colombia is the only country in South America that has a coastline on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Victor Araiza is a Houston-based writer covering Copa America Centenario and the Houston Dynamo beat reporter for Prost Amerika.
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