José Pekerman already had Fredy Montero in his sights, but with Colombia’s wealth of attackers, it has been difficult for the former Sounders standout to find room. Radamel Falcao, Jackson Martínez, and Teó Gutíerrez have been automatics, and with James Rodríguez also capable of playing an advanced role, the Monaco midfielder offsets the need to select too many forwards. With Carlos Bacca, Carlos Darwin Quintero and Luis Muriel all receiving call ups since October, somebody like Montero has a lot to wade through to make it to shore.
Needless to say, Falcao’s injury changes things. Without their primary scoring threat, Colombia’s going to have to rethink everything, potentially shaking up how Pekerman organizes his team. The Cafeteros’ boss could just slide Martínez into his starting XI next to Gutíerrez, persisting with the same approach with which he finished South American qualifying. He could also decide a tendency to set up with two-striker approach playing to Falcao’s strengths needs to be reevaluated, perhaps leaving the door open for a 26-year-old whose 13 goals for Sporting Lisbon are tied for Portugal’s lead.
Unfortunately for Montero (and Pekerman), there’s almost no time for experimentation. National teams will be able to get together for one game in March. Beyond that, the only games teams will play before May will be without their European players, who will be obliged to their clubs. If the Argentine coach does need to overhaul his setup, he’ll be picking up the pieces as he arrives in Brazil.
That’s where somebody like Montero can help. As opposed to some of the other players who’ve already been called in, there’s a versatility to his game that could allow him to adapt to whatever solutions Pekerman’s forced to employ. He can play along the line, serve his role in a partnership, or be used as more of a creator while deployed in a withdrawn role. If Pekerman needs all options on the table when Colombia arrives in Brazil, Montero can provide them, perhaps more so than players like Bacca, Muriel or Quintero.
Unfortunately for Montero, the depth of Colombia’s attack and the size of FIFA’s World Cup rosters (23 men) means Pekerman doesn’t have to settle for a utility knife. If he wants an out-and-out forward, Bacca or Muriel might be better options. If he decides an on the ball playmaker will be more important in the absence of Falcao, Rodríguez and Macnelly Torres are already regulars in the squad. Whatever needs end up surfacing in the wake of Falcao’s injury, it’s unclear the answer is Fredy Montero.
Of course, there is another, more obvious need we haven’t addressed: goals. With 20 goals in 50 international appearances, Falcao was Colombia’s only established international scoring threat. Though Gutíerrez has 11 goals in 27 appearances, the Cafeteros will still need to identify somebody to replace Falcao’s scoring.
Carlos Bacca has nine goals for Sevilla this year, and Martínez has a share of Portugal’s scoring lead with 13 goals in 16 games. Along with Montero, they’ve been Colombia’s most productive non-Falcao Europeans.
But as the person who shares Portugal’s scoring lead with Martínez, Montero has a case to make. If 13 goals in Portugal are good enough for Martínez to be a lock, why can’t they earn Montero one of the last spots in Colombia’s squad?
Edit: As @crashcarson15 pointed out in a reply to @NBCSportsSoccer, going by Colombia’s recent caps means I forgot another player who deserves a role in the conversation:
True.