The Colombian national team embarked on an intense tour of friendly matches that “wore out” the players before the 1994 World Cup in the United States. You are invited to check sports betting online at the 1xBet platform in order to wager on the Colombian national side too.
The Colombians played 21 matches in 16 different cities against national teams and clubs in the 6 months leading up to the tournament. The sheer number of matches, and the fact that they took place all across the world, has been cited as one of the factors that led to the failure of the team in the FIFA World Cup.
It is likely that by the time the tournament began, the players were totally exhausted and worn out. Punters can check online sports betting at 1xBet, where friendly matches can be wagered too.
A team full of stars
Among the stars of the 1994 Colombian team were Freddy Rincón, Óscar Córdoba, Carlos Valderrama and Faustino Asprilla. This was a world-class group of players, and many Colombians genuinely believed they were serious contenders to win the 1994 FIFA World Cup. In addition to wagering on these major football competitions, you can also enjoy virtual sports betting online at 1xBet.
Colombia had a famous 5-0 victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires. Afterwards, they qualified for the competition that was going to be held in the United States. For this reason, the Colombian Football Federation (FCF) capitalized on the team’s newfound fame. The 1xBet website allows you to enjoy online virtual sports betting alongside football wagers on many teams too.
The Tricolor became highly attractive for advertising and sponsorships, leading to the arrangement of numerous friendly matches with other countries and international clubs.
An obscene number of matches
As said before, Colombia played 21 unofficial matches before the World Cup. It reportedly “wore out” the players physically due to the high number of matches and the extensive travel across different continents. There is betting on football from 1xbet.ie/en/line/football that can also be made on football matches played all across the world.
Under coach Francisco Maturana, the team played these 21 matches between January and June in various cities across Colombia. They also traveled to the USA, Mexico, Venezuela and even Saudi Arabia.
Despite the physical toll, the sporting results of these friendly matches were impressive. The overall record included:
- 14 wins;
- 6 draws;
- and only 1 defeat.
When betting on football from the 1xBet website you can also bet on the result of a match. After 2 shocking defeats against Romania and USA, Colombia suffered an early elimination from the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
