Lorenzo says Colombia could have beaten Uzbekistan by a wider margin

Colombia left the Estadio Azteca with three points, first place in Group K and a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, but Néstor Lorenzo sounded far less satisfied than the scoreline suggested. The coach’s criticism after the team’s World Cup debut centered on control that did not become enough damage, and on a shape that left Colombia exposed even while it was dictating much of the play.

Daniel Muñoz opened the scoring in the 40th minute after a pass from Luis Díaz, giving Colombia a lead that looked deserved but not yet secure. Uzbekistan answered in the 60th minute through Abbosbek Fayzullaev, whose finish not only tied the match but also became the first World Cup goal in Uzbek history. Colombia reclaimed the lead five minutes later when Díaz settled the game again with an individual run and finish, and Jáminton Campaz closed it out in the 90+9 minute to make the final margin look more convincing.

For Lorenzo, the result was encouraging, but the performance still contained too many warnings. He said Colombia had trouble getting into the final third, finishing moves cleanly and avoiding unnecessary effort because the team held onto the ball too long. He also pointed to the danger of playing too high and said the back line, with the central defenders positioned practically at midfield, carried a large risk. When he refreshed the lineup, Colombia looked better, which reinforced his view that the match had been won as much by moments of quality as by sustained control.

The victory carried extra weight because it came in Colombia’s return to the World Cup, in front of thousands of Colombian supporters in Mexico City. FIFA named Luis Díaz the player of the match, a recognition that fit both his goal and his role in the opener for Muñoz. FIFA also noted that Colombia had lost four of its six previous World Cup openers, including the 2-1 defeat to Japan in Russia in 2018, which made this start feel more stable and more important than the final score alone.

The match also marked Uzbekistan’s first appearance at a World Cup, with Fayzullaev’s goal securing an early place in tournament history for a debutant nation. Colombia’s opening night delivered a win, but Lorenzo’s tone made clear that the standard for the next rounds will be higher than simply surviving and scoring late.