Nestor Lorenzo often has a neat way of summing things up. Asked about the enigmatic James Rodriguez before a crunch match with Brazil on Tuesday, Colombia’s smooth-talking coach delivered once again.

“Now he runs a little less, but he thinks a little more. It’s good for him. He’s well surrounded, and that’s what’s making him play well.”

Already, after just three games at the 2024 Copa America, the 32-year-old Rodriguez has created 11 chances for team-mates — more than any other player in the tournament — and laid on three assists. If it wasn’t for the merciless line-drawing of the video assistant referee (VAR) halfway through a thrilling first half against Brazil in Santa Clara, California, last night, he would have made it four.

“I know the love he has for the jersey, his commitment for the national team,” continued Lorenzo, “and that’s why I trusted him.”

Rodriguez’s involvement with the Colombian national team has not been assured in recent years, missing out on the 2021 Copa America squad as his club form continued to wander. Now at Brazilian side Sao Paulo, fitness and form have allowed him to play just under 700 league minutes in 12 months.

Nonetheless, Lorenzo has found a place for Rodriguez’s technical ability to breathe in a 4-3-1-2 system, pulling the strings in a positionally fluid role behind the two strikers. Hard-runners and tough-tacklers Jefferson Lerma and Richard Rios can do the dirty work in midfield, leaving the No 10 free to combine with the intelligent Jhon Arias, pick out the relentless channel runs of Luis Diaz, or look to the box for bustling centre-forward Jhon Cordoba.

With the freedom to roam into pockets of space, Rodriguez will react to the game in front of him. As we can see from the graphic below, he likes to drop into the build-up phase and collect the ball from the centre-backs, particularly against the aggressive low-blocks of Paraguay and Costa Rica, who worked hard to close down his preferred spaces in midfield during the first two group matches.

Things were more open in the 1-1 draw against Brazil, allowing him to stray into dangerous areas in the right half-space, where he did not hesitate to cut inside and find his team-mates. Once in those areas, his delivery has been consistently inch-perfect.

One of the last contributions to his lock-picking clinic against Brazil was to create the following opportunity for Cordoba from exactly that space.

With that extra thinking time mentioned by Lorenzo — created as he peels out wide to receive the pass — Rodriguez picks out a perfectly-judged cross that drops right on the six-yard line, sailing over the defenders and landing on his striker’s head.

Seven of his 11 chances created for team-mates in this tournament have come from dead-ball deliveries, and with his ability to judge the weight of his passes, it is clear to see why. Something about how Rodriguez floats the ball in — the almost leisurely way of sending it looping and spinning towards goal, leaving it hanging in the air just long enough to nail the goalkeeper to his line — makes each cross incredibly easy to attack.

For the disallowed ‘equaliser’, look how close Davinson Sanchez is to goal when he makes contact. The delivery is lofted over the defensive line but is not too high to allow the goalkeeper to come and claim the ball.

From corners, too, Rodriguez constantly delivered the ball to the edge of the six-yard box. On this occasion, it is Cordoba again who heads over the crossbar.

Such is the quality and consistency of these crosses, that he will trot over to take any Colombia set piece, anywhere on the pitch, to a raucous reception from their fans in the crowd.

Rodriguez can switch it up too. Early in the first half against Brazil, he grazed the bar with a vicious free kick, the ball dipping and swerving as it careered over the wall.

He also sent a shot flying towards Alisson’s near post from a crossing position. Strolling up to the ball, leaning back, he suddenly closed his body and wrapped his foot around the ball, forcing the goalkeeper to scramble back and push a spinning shot over the top.

There is finesse and firepower in his left boot.

Despite what Lorenzo’s summary may suggest, Rodriguez is not low-intensity by any stretch; only Brazil defender Marquinhos had more touches last night in the San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium, while the four tackles he put in could only be bettered by his team-mate Daniel Munoz.

Even if he has lost a yard of pace as he prepares to turn 33 in just over a week’s time, Rodriguez’s appetite for the national team keeps him on the move.

(Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

“He is a player that we have to mark closely,” said Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes before the game, “someone will always have to keep an eye on him.”

Colombia are now 26 games unbeaten and head into their quarter-final against Panama in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday as strong favourites to make that 27.

Rodriguez has been the beating heart of that historic streak and is offering the world one final glimpse of his galactico days at Real Madrid.

GO DEEPER

Copa America 2024 quarterfinals bracket: Full knockout stage schedule

(Top photo: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Marketa Vondrousova suffered a historic loss at Wimbledon on Tuesday, becoming the first defending champion to drop in the first round since Steffi Graf did so in 1994. 

Vondrousova, 25, won her first Grand Slam at the All England Club last year when she became the first unseeded ladies single player to win at Wimbledon when she defeated Ons Jabeur in the final. 

She admitted after Tuesday’s match that she entered this year’s tournament feeling a sense of pressure. 

“I feel like everybody just expects you to win maybe, so that’s tough too. But I was happy to be back on the Centre Court. It just didn’t go as planned today.”

Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain, who is competing in just her third-ever Grand Slam tournament, ended Vondrousova’s plans of a repeat after winning their first round matchup 6-4, 6-2. 

Jessica Bouzas Maneiro reacts to defeating Marketa Vondrousova during Wimbledon at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 2, 2024, in London. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

RUSSIAN TENNIS STAR ANDREY RUBLEV SMASHES RACQUET AGAINST KNEE SEVERAL TIMES DURING WIMBLEDON LOSS

It was Bouzas Maneiro’s first win at a tour-level grass tournament and also her first win over a top 10 ranked player. Vondrousova entered Wimbledon ranked No. 6. 

While last year’s win put Vondrousova’s name in the history books, this year’s loss did the same. She is the first player in 30 years to lose in the first round of Wimbledon after winning the tournament the year before. 

The only other player to do that was Graf. 

Marketa Vondrousova walks off the court after losing to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at Wimbledon on July 2, 2024. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

“It’s tough to go out defending the title,” Vondrousova said after the match, appearing to hold back tears. “I was really nervous from the morning and everything and [Bouzas Maneiro] was also playing good tennis. That’s kind of tough, you don’t have many chances to win free points.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Their college matchups were legendary.

Their WNBA matchups have been ratings juggernauts.

Later this month, though, Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky will be teammates for the first time.

The two rookies are among the players selected as WNBA All-Stars through a combination of fan, player, media and coach voting. The All-Star Game on July 19 at Footprint Center in Phoenix will pit Team USA — the national squad that will represent the U.S. at the Paris Olympic Games weeks later — against Team WNBA, which is made up of All-Stars who are not on the Olympic team.

Clark and Reese fall into the latter category. Following the Fever’s 88-69 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday night, Clark was asked about what it might be like playing on the same team with a longtime rival.

“I know people will be really excited about it, but I hope it doesn’t take away from everyone else,” said Clark, whose 7.1 assists per game rank third in the league. “This is a huge accomplishment for everybody on Team USA and everyone on Team WNBA. They all deserve the same praise. I don’t want it to take away from any of that and be the focal point of All-Star weekend because that’s not fair to them.”

Reese wiped away tears as she spoke about her All-Star selection following the Sky’s 85-77 win over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday.

“They just told me I’m an All-Star, and I’m just so happy,” said Reese, who leads the league in rebounds per game (11.8). “I know the work I’ve put in. Coming into this league, so many people doubted me and didn’t think my game would translate and I wouldn’t be the player I was in college … or wouldn’t be where I am right now. But I trusted the process and I believed and I’m thankful I dropped to No. 7 [in the WNBA draft] and was able to come to Chicago. It’s just a blessing.”

Both players finished in the top five in fan voting — Clark was first with 700,735 votes and Reese fifth with 381,518 votes. In between them were Clark’s Indiana teammate and 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston (618,660 votes), 2022 league most valuable player A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces (607,300) and reigning league MVP Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty (424,135).

Those numbers are staggering compared to last year, when Wilson led all players in fan votes with 95,860. The league’s surge in popularity has been largely attributed to all-time NCAA scoring leader Clark, which has been a sore spot for some in the WNBA, including Reese.

Clark’s omission from the Olympic team was considered a snub by some. Now she has a shot to show that squad what they’re missing.

Team USA consists of four Aces — Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young — as well as Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, Phoenix’s Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi, New York’s Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, Seattle’s Jewell Loyd and Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas.

Sparks veteran Dearica Hamby, who will be representing the U.S. in Paris on the 3×3 basketball team, was selected for her third All-Star Game and will play for Team WNBA. That team is rounded out by Connecticut’s DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones, Indiana’s Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, Atlanta’s Allisha Gray, New York’s Jonquei Jones, Minnesota’s Kayla McBride, Dallas’ Arike Ogunbowale and Seattle’s Nneka Ogwumike.