Colombia Makes Past, Future Work to a Winning Advantage

By GRAHAME L. JONES

June 23, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

PARIS — One is so old and well-known that no introduction is necessary. The other is so young and so new to the team that almost no one knows who he is.

But on a sweltering day in Montpellier, Carlos Valderrama, 37, and Leider Preciado, 21, teamed up to throw Colombia a World Cup lifeline.

And at the same time sink Tunisia’s hopes.

It was Preciado’s goal off a pass from Valderrama in the 83rd minute that was the difference Monday as Colombia won, 1-0, and picked up three points to keep stride with England, its final first-round opponent in Group G.

But it was not easy.

In fact, in a game filled with chances at both ends, it was the Tunisians who controlled play. But they could not find a way to beat Colombian goalkeeper Farid Mondragon, who is enjoying an exceptional World Cup.

“We didn’t deserve to win,” said Tunisia’s Polish coach, Henry Kasperczak. “We had a lot of scoring chances, but we didn’t take advantage of them. . . . We need players who score when the situation presents itself.”

The Colombians came into the match in some disarray, top striker Faustino Asprilla having been kicked off the team last week by Coach Hernan Dario Gomez, whose nickname, “the Truncheon,” indicates his lack of patience with those who criticize him.

Asprilla, a troublesome character in the best of times, had the temerity to question Gomez’s tactics. He later apologized, but Gomez refused to relent.

Part of Asprilla’s unhappiness was his claim that Gomez continued to play “untouchables” even though they clearly were not in form. The player he had uppermost in mind was Valderrama, the former two-time South American player of the year now with Major League Soccer’s Miami Fusion.

And Valderrama does, indeed, appear to be struggling. He was even booed by Colombian fans on Monday, but blamed the heat for his ineffective performance.

The boos ended once Valderrama had created the winning goal, however.

It was Gomez’s shrewd use of substitutions that turned the tide Colombia’s way. With his team wilting visibly and threatening to give up a goal, if not the ghost, at any moment, Gomez sent three new players into the match in the second half, all of them attack-minded.

And it was Preciado, who plays his club soccer for Santa Fe Bogota, who salvaged the game and perhaps the tournament for Colombia.

It came with only seven minutes left to play. Valderrama sent a well-timed pass to Preciado, who managed to hold off two Tunisian defenders and then hit a poor shot from about 12 yards that nevertheless eluded goalkeeper Chokri El Ouaer in the Tunisian nets.

The goal wiped the strain off Gomez’s face as he and the Colombian bench reacted with unrestrained delight.

“It’s fantastic,” Preciado said. “I am very happy to repay the confidence that Gomez showed in me. It was a very important goal.”

With the victory, which mathematically eliminated Tunisia from advancing, Gomez’s team still can reach the second round by defeating England on Friday in Lens. It’s not a likely occurrence, given the talent difference between the teams, but at least it is possible.

“We’re still on course for the final,” said Gomez, the heat apparently having gotten to him. “It was a triumph for team spirit.”

The mop-topped Valderrama was no less cocky.

“The important thing was to win,” he said. “I don’t care whether we deserved it or not. There is one winner in football and tonight that’s us.”

Friday night might be a different matter.