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| Reinaldo Rueda acompañado de Iván Ramiro Córdoba en conferencia de prensa antes del encuentro con Paraguay |
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05/JUL/2005 -Rueda has also included some veterans and international players
in the mix with the intent of improving upon the nation's last Gold Cup performance,
in which it was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Among the starters currently playing abroad are Galatasaray goalkeeper Farid
Mondragon, River Plate midfielder Jairo Patiño and defender Jose Julian
De La Cuesta with Spanish club Caringdiz.
Though Medellin forward Cesar Valoyes is the only newcomer to crack the starting
lineup, Rueda noted that he called up the younger players "with the thought
in mind that they will assume the responsibility of (becoming) starters."
With World Cup qualifiers looming, Rueda also sought to underscore that Colombia
would not field an inferior team that might sully the nation's soccer reputation.
"We need a balanced lineup because the Gold Cup is a demanding tournament,
with teams from Central and North America that have very strong players and
so we have to bring a team that represents us well," he said.
"We are going to face teams like Mexico, which has spent a lot of time
together, and the United States, which is having a good qualifying season. Those
are very strong teams and the other teams from Central America have been making
a lot of progress, that's why this is a tournament that is very risky and unpredictable."
Among the younger set, Rueda has placed his bets on Aldo Leao Ramirez, Luis
Martinez and Juan Carlos Ramirez of Santa Fe, and Hector Hurtado and Humberto
Martinez of Nacional. The two teams recently vied for the local club championship,
in which Nacional defeated Santa Fe 2-0.
Colombia joins Honduras, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago in Group A, which will
play in Miami's Orange Bowl. Colombia takes on Panama as part of the opening
doubleheader on July 6.
The Gold Cup competition will be among three four-team groups, with the top
two teams from each advancing to the next round. Two third-ranked teams will
also qualify for the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals will be played the weekend of July 16-17 in Foxboro, Massachusetts,
and Houston.
The semifinals and the final are scheduled to be held in Giants Stadium in
East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Thursday, July 21 and Sunday, July 24, respectively.
The rest of the 12-team field includes Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, the United
States, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico and South Africa
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