Colombian Soccer Player Jáminton Campaz Has Gone Into Hiding After Missing Point Blank Chance in World Cup Loss to Switzerland
Ever since the United States was eliminated from the World Cup, and my expectations for the USMNT came crashing back down to earth, I've started to really notice how incredibly far away our country is from being competitive at the top level. We just don't care about soccer enough. We probably never will. And I think this current situation with Colombia and Jáminton Campaz sums it up perfectly.
Colombia was playing Switzerland in the Round of 16. It was an ugly game. The score was 0-0 late into extra time. But in the 115th minute, Jáminton Campaz of Colombia had a chance to knock in the game winner. I chance from point blank. Just him and the goalie. And he missed.
Not as easy as it looks, I'm sure. But I think it's fair to expect one of the 11 best soccer player in your country to score. From there, the game went into penalties. Switzerland won.
Colombian fans were furious, specifically at Jáminton Campaz. To the point that when the rest of his team boarded a plane in Vancouver to return home, he refused to join them. Instead, he posted this message on Instagram.
NY Post – “My Colombia, please let us never lose sight of respect,” the 26-year-old football wrote in Spanish on Instagram on Thursday. “We may hold different views or feel frustration and sadness, but no passion justifies hatred or living in fear.
“Since I was a child, I dreamed of defending Colombia’s colors, hearing the anthem, representing millions of people, and scoring a goal in a World Cup. Today, I can only thank God for allowing me to fulfill that dream. These are memories I will carry with me forever.
“I want to sincerely thank everyone who stood by us during this World Cup – those who believed in us, cheered us on until the very last minute, and never lost faith. Thanks also to my family, who have been my strength at every step and have been by my side during both the happiest and the most difficult moments.”
“To the entire country, I can only say that I share the pain of this elimination. We, too, dreamed of advancing further, and I know the sadness we feel today as Colombians,” he said.
“I deeply regret not being able to bring you the joy we all hoped for, but I want you to know that there was never a lack of dedication, commitment, or love for this jersey. I gave everything I had on the pitch, and I would do it a thousand times over for my country.”
And went off the grid. Nobody seems to know whether he's still in Vancouver, if he's flown to Argentina where he plays professionally, or if he's bleached his skin and fled to Alaska. The man received enough death threats that he was scared to return to his own country.
It's hard to blame the guy. If it happened to a different country, maybe you could say he's being paranoid. But in the 1994 World Cup, Colombia's Andrés Escobar scored an own goal in a group play match vs the United States, which led to Colombia losing 2-1. The failed to qualify for the knockout stage. Only 5 days later, while back in Colombia, Andrés Escobar was shot dead outside a nightclub. Terrible story. One of the best ESPN 30-for-30's there is.
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So… if I were in Jáminton Campaz' shoes right now, I might not return to Colombia either. Just take a little time for yourself. Post a heartfelt message on Instagram. Make it international news to the point that everyone says, "This is fucked up. Nobody should fear for their lives over a sports performance". And by the time Jáminton is ready to return to Colombia, surely people will have called down.
With all due respect, Colombia. Just chill out man. It's not like you were going to beat Messi and Argentina in the quarterfinals. No matter how well you played, I have it on good authority that VAR would never allow it.
Thank god Tim Ream and Matt Freese play for the United States. Had this happened to a different country… while playing in their home country… I'm not sure they would have made it off the field. They might have been forced to cancel the rest of the World Cup right then and there.