Hárold Preciado dresses up as a hero: “God willing and I can score the first goal with the national team”

Hárold Preciado, one of the first players to concentrate with the Colombian national team ahead of the last two matches of the South American Qualifiers heading to Qatar 2022, spoke to the media on March 21. The need to score a goal, the dependence on other results to attend the world cup contest and the possibility of seeing James Rodríguez as a starter, among the topics of conversation. Here are some of his statements.

One of the concerns in the tricolor team is that in the last seven qualifying matches, no goal has been reported. Although there were clear options to define in the most recent matches, forwards such as Miguel Ángel Borja, Rafael Santos Borre and Duván Zapara did not take advantage of them, hence this shameful streak and the call of new faces, like those of Harold Preciado. Your bet: that when given the opportunity to enter the playing field, you have to keep the ball at the back of the net.

“One as a player always wants to be a starter, if given the opportunity I hope to give my best and if not, to be two hundred percent supporting my teammates. God forbid that I am given the opportunity and score the first goal with the national team, which I long for and have always dreamed of. The strikers are on streaks, the squads are going through a good time, let's hope that what we are doing in the clubs can be repeated in the national team”.

For preciado, gunner of the BetPlay League 2021 II, of which he won with Deportivo Cali, and now scorer with Santos Laguna, where he has scored 5 points, there is no need to change the team's tactical approach in the last few commitments. For him, the question is as simple as marking when he has a choice.

“We don't have to do anything different, just score the goals, which are the ones that define matches, before there was no luck in scoring them, hopefully we can convert the options we have (...) Personally as a winger or as '9′ I feel comfortable, today I play there, but in both positions I feel good. If the teacher wants to place me in that position, I will have the best availability.”

Although Colombia wins on Thursday by hosting Bolivia at the Metropolitano Stadium and on Tuesday, March 22 visiting Venezuela in Guyana, it should expect Peru and Chile to score as little as possible to get a spot for the World Cup event. This undoubtedly implies a certain level of pressure on the players, although, for Preciado, his teammates in the national team have a way to assume it.

“We are mentally strong, this is football, every day there is revenge and against Bolivia we have a match in which we hope we can score. We know that we played a final to think about Qatar, we know that it is not easy, we have to have faith and, trusting God, we will succeed, but the first thing is to think about Bolivia. We all know that against Bolivia we played a final, the three points are key to continue in the fight, we are focused on taking another step.”

Preciado was also asked at a press conference about his preference for James Rodriguez or Juan Fernando Quintero, but he was cautious in his response.

“We all know that they are excellent players, our cracks, but whoever is up to them I know that they will always do it in the best way to win. We are all having a good time in our clubs and we hope to show it in our national team.”

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