MIAMI GARDENS-. The technician of Colombia Néstor Lorenzo criticized on Saturday the possible extension of halftime in the final of the America Cup due to the superstar’s performance Shakira.
“I think it should be like any other game, with the 15 minutes that are required by the rules,” said the coach in a press conference he held at the Hard Rock Stadium one day before the title match between Colombia and Argentina. “When we came on in the 16th minute, they sanctioned us, so now it turns out that there is a show and we have to come on in the 20th or 25th minute, with the impact that this can have on the players’ physical condition, which can vary.”
Lorenzo was referring to the sanctions that CONMEBOL imposed on several coaches during the Copa América because their teams arrived a few minutes late to the field after the half-time break. Among those penalized were Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni, and Chile’s coach, Ricardo Gareca.
The sanctions prevented them from appearing on the bench in one of the games and in press conferences. Their teams also had to pay a fine.
CONMEBOL has not made an official announcement about how long the halftime interval, which is set at 15 minutes by regulation in soccer matches, will last. Various reports indicated that the Colombian’s performance will last six minutes and that at least another 14 minutes will be required to set up and remove the stage.
Thus, the break between the first and second half could even be extended to 20 or 25 minutes.
Shakira’s performance in front of some 65,000 fans at the final is a new episode linking the star to sporting events. Her song “Waka Waka (This is Time for Africa)” became the anthem for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, and “La La La” (Brazil 2014) was part of the soundtrack for the 2014 World Cup.
Shakira also sang “Hips Don’t Lie” at the 2006 World Cup final in Berlin. In 2020, she was one of the stars of the Super Bowl halftime show.
Despite his annoyance with the possible extension of the intermission, the Argentine Lorenzo refrained from criticizing the spectacle itself.
“I hope you enjoy it,” he said.
