Colombia youngsters are adapting quickly, says Lorenzo after win over Peru

Nestor Lorenzo was impressed by the way Colombia's young players adapted during the first international break since the World Cup, which they ended with a 2-0 win over Peru.

Samuel Velasquez and Daniel Arcila both scored their first senior international goals as Lorenzo's side claimed a deserved success at Inter Miami's Nu Stadium on Tuesday.

Colombia accumulated 1.53 expected goals from their 16 shots, five of which were on target, compared to Peru failing to hit the target from five attempts with an xG value of 0.36.

Peru had substitute Miguel Araujo sent off at 1-0, as he conceded possession cheaply to Camilo Duran before hauling him down as the last man.

Lorenzo did not call up star forward Luis Diaz for the current international break, with an agreement reached with Bayern Munich to allow him to rest, while former captain James Rodriguez retired from Colombia duty last month. 

And even with Tuesday's win coming off the back of a 1-1 draw with Mexico and a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay, Lorenzo believes the last few weeks have allowed Los Cafeteros to build important foundations for the future. 

"I'm happy with the attitude and what has happened in these 15 days together, with the new guys," Lorenzo said after Tuesday's game. 

"During the three games, we maintained a structure that allowed the youngsters to adapt. 

"Sometimes that happened, sometimes it didn't, and I would have liked the football to flow a little more, especially in the first games, in which we finished badly."

Of the 26 players called up by Lorenzo, only two – Royer Caicedo and Oscar Perea – did not feature at any point across their three games.

And with home and away friendlies against Chile to come next month, the Colombia boss plans to continue experimenting. 

"The balance is very positive, because even with those who did not play, we had them close to us and we saw that they have the potential to be called up at some point, when the team needs them," Lorenzo said. 

The post Colombia youngsters are adapting quickly, says Lorenzo after win over Peru appeared first on SoccerNews.



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