Rodriguez earns big praise from Uruguay boss.Colombia winger James Rodriguez has earned glowing praise from Uruguay manager Oscar Tabarez after the Monaco man’s two goals knocked his side out of the World Cup, BBC Sport reports.
The 22-year-old opened the scoring with a superb volley from outside the box, and then neatly finished a fine team move in the second half to seal a 2-0 win to help his side through to the quarter-finals of the competition at Uruguay’s expense.
The brace moves the Monaco starlet to the top of the World Cup scoring charts with a total of five goals, which have come in each of his four games in Brazil so far, alongside two assists for his team-mates as well, showing himself to be a valuable attacking asset.
Colombia’s opponents were without star player Luis Suarez in Saturday evening’s game following his lengthy Fifa ban for his bite on Giorgio Chiellini in his country’s final group stage match, but Uruguay manager Tabarez compared Rodriguez’s ability with that of the missing Liverpool forward.
Rodriguez was also put in the same category as Barcelona star Lionel Messi, as well as Argentine legend Diego Maradonna, with Tabarez hailing the youngster’s superb displays at this summer’s finals.
“For me, talents are those who do things that have nothing to do with their life experience,” Tabarez said.
“Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and James Rodriguez – they do things because they have a certain gift which makes them special.
“It is not up to me but I believe from what I have seen that he is the best player in the World Cup.”
Rodriguez’s fine performances have already seen him linked with big clubs such as Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Napoli.