In the recent past there have been two football players in Colombia that emerged outside of their home country to become constants for the national team.
Valenciennes’ Carlos Sánchez was a virtual unknown to Colombian fans when he was first called up by Jorge Luis Pinto. Fast forward four year and the native of Quibdó is now a constant in the holding midfield for Los Cafeteros.
Radamel Falcao García went to Argentina at a very young age and he was able to become one of the big stars at River Plate. The question marks that emerged as far as teams and their scouting process to let this young gem slip through the cracks the way he did was mind boggling.
Then there was the case of Jonathan Copete. A native of Cali, he took the longest way possible to get to play ball in Colombia as he started out with Argentine side Almagro. After a brief stint in the Argentine second division, he would head to Venezuela where he would be able to show his talents while playing for eventual league champs Zamora.
By then former Lara FC assistant Arturo Boyacá referred him based on his performances and he was signed by Santa Fe. Although Boyacá was not able to keep his job but Copete was able to make an impression from the get go. Copete was instrumental on his debut against Tolima to help Los Cardenales come away with a huge 3-0 on that date with two assists and a goal.
At that point, the Colombian playmaker began to really make an impact on the Santa Fe side and this season under Wilson Gutiérrez he has been the engine behind the Santa Fe attack. Yes, Omar Pérez is still there, but the Argentine’s biggest question mark is always his knees. The addition of Copete has given Pérez the luxury to be able to have to move less and be just as effective. Now will this help him to come into the final weeks of the season and the playoffs healthy and not broken down as has been the case the past few seasons?
Well the true test of any player comes in the most important matches. The big test was against none other than eternal rivals Millonarios. Copete was the man of the match scoring two goals and an assist in a 4-3 win in the Bogota derby.
That performance truly propelled him into the upper echelon of Colombian football. His performances have gone beyond that typical overreaction that is made in that country’s press where one good match starts earning you nicknames like “Little Pelé”, “Little Maradona” or “Little Zidane”. Copete has the maturity and has shown it on several occasions to know the fact that he still has a lot of work ahead of him.
For the past few months the 24-year-old has been talked about by several Argentine sides such as Vélez Sarsfield and Banfield. Then-Banfield coach Ricardo Lavolpe had Copete as one of his top priorities to obtain in order to be able to compete in the Apertura. Copete would not come and Lavolpe would not stay.
Santa Fe fans are hoping that their newfound idol stays for a long time but the beckoning of bigger contracts will start to hover and hound him even more in the coming weeks if his form continues. His fans will grow more and more if he helps keep Santa Fe’s dream of winning a title for the first time in 37 years alive.
