When James Rodríguez drops into midfield or the right half-space, Colombia need the striker, full-back or deeper midfielder to keep running beyond him. His age means someone else has to make the box arrival he used to make himself.

Spielverlagerung’s Colombia preview names Colombia’s support pattern as “ballferne Tiefe und Nachstarten,” meaning far-side depth and late follow-up runs. Néstor Lorenzo gives James Rodríguez and Luis Díaz freedom, then asks the striker, full-backs and deeper midfielders to keep the last line and box occupied. ¹

James moves furthest away from a fixed attacking slot. Spielverlagerung says he drops through central zones, pulls toward the wing at midfield height, especially on the right or right half-space, and can even fall into the first or second build-up line.

Díaz starts from the left and uses his freedom more toward goal. The same preview says Díaz also drifts through different zones, with James dropping toward the ball and Díaz running beyond defenders.

The striker’s job is to hold far-side zones in the last line, whether Luis Suárez or Jhon Córdoba is used. Jhon Arias can join build-up more like a second number eight before rotating near James and Díaz in the final third.

Gustavo Puerta is the deeper runner Spielverlagerung highlights. Colombia’s 1-0 against New Zealand is used as the example of far-side depth, and FotMob’s New Zealand match page records Puerta scoring after three minutes while James, Díaz, Córdoba, Jhon Arias, Puerta and Jefferson Lerma started together. ²

James creates earlier now

Opta Analyst’s James piece showed the same profile at Copa América 2024. James had five assists, 87 completed passes in the opposition half and 41 completed passes in the final third, but only four open-play chances created at that stage. ³

James still handles much of the possession and delivery, and teammates arrive to complete more of the moves around him. Opta also noted that much of his chance creation came from set pieces, not constant open-play arrival in the penalty area.

CONMEBOL’s Colombia standout list gives the rest of the attack around him. James had five assists and 14 decisive passes, Daniel Muñoz scored twice and assisted once from full-back, Díaz had two goals, and Richard Ríos added midfield ball-winning and a goal from distance. ⁴

Muñoz’s output is important because James often leaves the box earlier in the move. Colombia still need another player to become the extra finisher when James is the passer.

The deeper run

When James drops toward the ball, another Colombian midfielder has to run beyond him. Coaches’ Voice’s third-man run guide describes the pattern as two players attracting pressure and exchanging passes before a third player runs off the ball into space. ⁵

Puerta fits that pattern when he arrives from behind the play around James. James can pull a midfielder or centre-back toward the ball, a nearby teammate can connect the pass, and Puerta can arrive from behind the play before the back line has reset.

A James touch in the right half-space still needs the next action. Coaches’ Voice’s half-space guide says teams usually need a pass, cross or dribble before a realistic shot from those lanes, while penetrative runs beyond the back line can increase the space between lines. ⁶

For Colombia, that next action can be Córdoba pinning the centre-backs, Puerta running from midfield, or Muñoz arriving from the far side. James receiving between lines is valuable because it gives him the angle to find those runs.

The far-side run

Colombia often bring Arias, James and Díaz close to the ball to combine. Spielverlagerung describes Arias, James and Díaz gathering on one side in overloads, pulling defenders across and leaving the opposite side open.

When Colombia switch play, the opposite-side receiver can find space away from ball-side pressure. Coaches’ Voice’s switch-of-play guide says opponents naturally move toward the ball and concede room elsewhere, with the far-side receiver’s timing and first touch deciding how much advantage remains. ⁷

The full-back can also attack the far post instead of waiting for the switch to feet. Coaches’ Voice’s wing-back guide says the opposite-side wide defender often stays wide to receive switches, but can also attack the penalty area and target the far post when crosses come from the other side. ⁸

At Bayer Leverkusen, Coaches’ Voice’s Wirtz profile shows Florian Wirtz dropping to receive, drawing a defender, setting the ball to Granit Xhaka, and triggering Álex Grimaldo’s third-man run into the space behind. The teammates have to make the run near the box because Spielverlagerung says James no longer has the same endurance to arrive there after heavy involvement earlier in the attack. ⁹

The access problem

Colombia first have to beat pressure and get James or Díaz facing play near midfield or the final third. Spielverlagerung is positive about their 2-3-2 build-up against midfield pressing, where full-backs and midfielders vary their heights and central players offer bounce passes.

Full man-oriented pressing gives Colombia a harder problem. The preview says a clear 4-2 build-up can be easy to match, the free movements from higher zones can be tracked, James can struggle to get free, and Díaz can be forced into difficult wide duels.

France gave the warning in March. Spielverlagerung says Colombia had to switch quickly to long balls against a strong opponent, which narrows the value of the runners because James and Díaz receive fewer clean possessions in the areas where those runs start.

Colombia’s attacking idea is strongest when James can make the pass before the box and the striker, Muñoz or a Puerta-type midfielder keeps running into it. Against man-oriented high pressing, the same runners depend on Colombia finding James or Díaz before the move has already become a duel.