The Best Soccer Of The Summer Came From Colombia Just Winging It

It was no surprise that Argentina won the Copa América. The Albiceleste entered the tournament as the reigning South American and world champions, and were the big favorites this summer to repeat their 2021 feat. The Argentines complied with those expectations, defeating Colombia in last Sunday's final, 1-0.

Along with offering no surprise, Argentina's triumph didn't teach us anything we didn't already know, nor did it show us anything we hadn't already seen. The team is absolutely loaded. Emi Martínez is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Cristian Romero is for my money the very best center back in the game, and if it's a wall he forms alongside the similarly aggressive Lisandro Martínez in central defense, then it's one wreathed in barbed wire and studded with spikes, a barrier that defends by attacking. Enzo Fernández is a superstar in the making. Alexis Mac Allister is exactly right with everything he does. Inside Rodrigo De Paul's chest, where you'd expect to find a heart and lungs, there is a nuclear power plant that provides him with unlimited energy. Between the skill sets of Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez, Argentina covers nearly every ability you'd want from the center forward position, making for a manager's dream of a timeshare. And at the helm of it all is Lionel Messi, who is old and slow and often gimpy, but, with his craftiness and wisdom and unshakable confidence, conveys the feeling that he's still the best.

Though all of those aforementioned Argies played well in the Copa, the sum effect wasn't as dazzling as it has been at other points during this historic run of theirs. Argentina played only one great, comprehensive game—the 2-0 win in the semis over Canada—and otherwise relied on its almost literally impregnable defense (the team conceded just one goal in the entire tournament) and the timely contributions of its forwards to grind out wins, always with relaxed command of the proceedings. In a way, the unexceptional inevitability of Argentina's performances this summer adds to the team's legend, showing how far it's come. To conquer first a continent and then the world, Argentina had to recover the lost tradition of la nuestra—the mythical style of play upon which the country founded its soccer identity—while simultaneously writing an ending to Lionel Messi's decade-and-a-half story with the national team that could turn a tragedy into a comedy. The momentum of those achievements is so massive that the Albiceleste can now win tournaments simply by inertia. Argentina never plays poorly, has no reason to fear defeat after having already become immortal, knows how to win even without playing its best, and is free to chase the one thing the team that has everything wants: more.

But while Argentina captured the trophy, they weren't the ones who captured viewers' hearts. (And anyone who found themselves charmed by Argentina's latest conquest was probably disabused of that sentiment once a video came out that showed the squad riding a bus after the final, singing a racist and transphobic fan-created song, which essentially says that the French national team's black players aren't real Frenchmen. Aside from the blatant bigotry, you may be struck by the hypocrisy of one nation of immigrants taking aim at another country's immigrants and their children, but then again self-awareness and not being racist have never been Argentines' strong suits.) The true stars of the Copa América, the ones who brought the flash and flair that makes South American soccer so special, were the Colombians.

In our Copa preview we made the case that Colombia played the most entertaining and attractive soccer in the competition, and the Cafeteros certainly lived up to it. Many of the most eye-catching plays, the best goals, the most drool-worthy touches and passes and dribbles, and the strongest team performances over the summer—across both the Copa and the Euros—came from the Colombians. James Rodríguez had what was probably the tournament of his life. With his overwhelming talent he served as both the team's chief organizer and its creative fulcrum, dictating Colombia's possessions from stem to stern. He was the rightful winner of the tournament's Golden Ball award, which he earned with his six assists and one goal, his incalculable influence, and his innumerable moments of brilliance.

But if Rodríguez was the captain of the ship, his leadership style is consummately collaborative. James having a good game almost by definition means his team had a good game too, since his approach requires a context that allows him to amplify the talents surrounding him. Manager Néstor Lorenzo's freewheeling tactical setup is just the sort of context in which James thrives. Lorenzo puts his players where they perform best, and trusts them to respond and react to the chaos that is a soccer match with the decisions and movements and solutions they themselves come up with in the moment. In short, Colombia allows its players to wing it when they step onto the field. The results, for James and his teammates, are as breathtaking as they are effective.

Predictably, then, James was hardly the only Colombian who had a great tournament. Midfielder Richard Ríos was the Copa's biggest revelation, with his energy, defensive commitment, attacking verve, and especially his dribbling. The 24-year-old actually was primarily a futsal player until he caught the eye of Brazilian giant Flamengo at a futsal tournament when he was 18, after which he signed with the club and transitioned into soccer. His futsal past was evident in his every touch this Copa, most notably when he'd draw multiple defenders into little phone booths of space and slip past them all with stunning ease.

Juan Fernando Quintero, as he always does when he's locked in and on the pitch, blew everyone away with the magnitude of his skill and his inexhaustible creativity. Quintero is something like the lost genius of his generation. In terms of sheer talent, he sits at the same table with the likes of James, Neymar, and Eden Hazard. Unlike those peers, however, Quintero has always lacked the commitment and drive to do all the things necessary to unleash his talent at the level it deserves. It's no surprise that he came close to quitting soccer about a decade ago to instead become a reggaetonero like his childhood friend Maluma, whom he'd met when the two were in Atlético Nacional's youth academy together. Quintero's approach to soccer really does feel like a musical artist's, one who loves the act of playing—the creative thrill of it, and the feeling of uniting with collaborators and fans who uniformly exalt at his rakish, off-the-cuff genius—but who maybe also doesn't care all that much about the more quotidian demands the professionalized industry places between him and the thing he loves to do.

That being said, Quintero's career since returning to South America with River Plate in 2017 has had more ups than downs as he's settled into a pace and platform he can live with. Nowhere is his still massive talent more clear, if only for being the most visible for the rest of the world, than the times he suits up for Colombia. Quintero came closest to winning the final for Colombia after he came on as an extra-time substitute, wherein he produced the two most impressive plays of that match: this amazing little first-time flick—

—and this play, where he damn near runs through the entire Argentine defense on his own:

Earlier in the tournament, Quintero was at the heart of the following passing sequence, which, with its speed, its fluidity, its uninhibited inventiveness, its technical exuberance, and its incorporation of so many members of the team, best encapsulates what this Colombia team can do and why it all is so amazing to watch:

And let's not forget the other standouts. Crystal Palace duo Daniel Muñoz and Jefferson Lerma were exceptional, clearing rival attacks as their defensive positions required while also chipping in with two goals apiece. Jhon Arias, a natural winger, showed his versatility by serving as one of Colombia's most consistent contributors while playing as a central midfielder. Davinson Sánchez was, alongside Argentina's Romero, one of the two best center backs in the tournament. Even just in brief cameo appearances, Luis Sinisterra and Jorge Carrascal flashed their immense attacking talents. Striker Jhon Córdoba helped facilitate all the pretty flicks and passes from his teammates by playing the battering ram up top, which freed up time and space for James and Co. to work underneath. Surprisingly, Luis Díaz was a little quiet throughout the Copa, though his performance as a one-man attack taking on the entire Uruguay defense in the semifinal, after Colombia had gone down a man on the stroke of halftime, was downright heroic.

That Uruguay semifinal also showed another reason why it is so easy to pull for this Colombia team. After suffering through and surviving the grueling match, there was an explosion of emotion from the players. (And also a different kind of explosion from some dumbass Colombia fans, but let's focus on the good here.) Everybody was sobbing and smiling and laughing and dancing and hugging each other and praising each other and rejoicing over making the final for a chance to win what would've been the country's second ever Copa América title.

As a soccer nation, Colombia belongs to South America's second tier, behind Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Because of that, the team doesn't get the same attention or respect as its perceived betters, and that goes for its players, too, who probably would be thought of more highly and courted by more prestigious clubs if their passports were different. It's in tournaments like this that the Colombians can prove how good they really are before the eyes of the world. In reaching the Copa final, especially in light of the awe-inspiring fashion of their journey, the Cafeteros did just that, an accomplishment more than deserving of the celebrations it inspired.

Unfortunately, Colombia couldn't push on and win the thing, falling in the final to Argentina, a team that is still rolling from the statement it made at the previous Copa América. The good news is that the trophy itself wasn't the only thing at stake. The show the Colombians put on, the memories they made, and the happiness they felt and evoked in fans and neutrals alike, will all outlast the sting of the defeat. Plus, there's an even bigger tournament just two years away. I'm certain Colombia will be ready for it, and you should be ready for them, too.