SANTIAGO: Lionel Messi and James Rodriguez are about to meet again.
They've left their clubs behind, Barcelona and Real Madrid, and this time Messi is wearing Argentina's blue and white and Rodriguez the red, blue and yellow of Colombia.
Of the four quarterfinals this week in the Copa America, Argentina vs. Colombia on Friday is the most compelling. Argentina has won this title 14 times and, with Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero, has the most talented attack in the game.
Colombia has won this title only once. But it's probably South America's fastest rising power, has an Argentine coach in Jose Pekerman and its own set of talented scorers including Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao and Jackson Martinez.
Messi's wonder goal against Athletico Bilbao
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The South American championship is a mini-World Cup. Five of the quarterfinalists reached the last 16 in Brazil's World Cup. Three reached the quarterfinals and Argentina was the losing finalist against Germany.
Neither Argentina nor Colombia has put it together in group play. Argentina blew a two-goal lead, drawing 2-2 with Paraguay. It has 1-0 victories against Jamaica and Uruguay, and was fortunate after Uruguay dominated the late play.
Argentina coach Gerardo Martino knows many players are spent from long European seasons. The Champions League final between Barcelona and Juventus — with Messi on one side and Tevez on the other — was played just five days before the Copa America began.
James Rodriguez's beauty against Granada
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“The failure to score and secure the outcome, it obviously beginning to generate some uneasiness,” Martino said.
Colombia barely advanced, although it did beat Brazil 1-0 for its only group victory.
“When you play poorly, you pay,” said Rodriguez, who goes almost exclusively by his given name James, which he pronounces using Spanish phonetics — HA-mace.
Rodriguez also refused to be drawn into the 'Messi vs James' debate.
“You can't just talk about a James vs Messi battle because it wouldn't be fair. If I want to be involved and there's no space, we've got other players who can break through. If I can't (find openings), others will.”
