World Cup: Colombia advances to round of 16

By Santiago Wills / ISH

June 20th, 2014 (ISH) On June 19, 1990, Colombia made it through to the second round of the World Cup after a nerve-wracking 1-1 match against Germany. Twenty-four years later to the day, Los Cafeteros has repeated the feat by beating Ivory Coast 2-1 in a thrilling game at the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha.

“We won an extremely difficult game,” Colombian Coach José Pékerman said in a press conference. “There was drama and that’s the way it goes in the World Cup.”

Drama, indeed.

Nearly 60,000 Colombian fans were on the edge of their chairs during the game’s last 20 minutes, when Ivory Coast relentlessly attacked in an effort to score the equalizer. Colombia’s “12th player” fell silent and anxiously waited for the final whistle.

It was a fitting end to a hard-fought match that could have easily ended up in a tie.

The game started off slowly. Throughout most of the first half, Colombia moved the ball around the field without threatening Boubacar Barry, Ivory Coast’s goalie. Los Cafeteros’ real chances came together when James Rodríguez and Juan Guillermo Cuadrado combined in the last third of the field.

In the sixth minute, Rodríguez lobbed a pass to Cuadrado. Fiorentina’s midfielder sent the ball back to the middle of the area, where River Plate forward Teófilo Gutiérrez failed to strike the ball cleanly. A similar play in the 28th minute ended up with another fumble by Gutiérrez, prompting cries amid the Colombian fans for the absent Radamel Falcao, who is out with a knee injury.

Meanwhile, Ivory Coast waited patiently. The Elephants defended moderately well all throughout the first half, taking every chance it had to counterattack using the speed of Yaya Touré and striker Gervinho. But, much like Colombia, the team did not manage to do much once they reached their opponent’s penalty area.

Just as it happened against Greece, Los Cafeteros stepped up its game in the second half. Led by Rodríguez and Cuadrado, Pékerman’s squad outmaneuvered Ivory Coast’s defense time and again. Almost 15 minutes into the second half, Cuadrado received the ball on the far right corner and danced with the ball in front of defender Arthur Boka. Cuadrado got past Boka and struck a heavy shot just a few yards from Barry. The ball grazed Barry’s hands and went on to hit the post.

Colombia’s attacks paid off a few minutes later. Cuadrado whipped a corner to the near post and found Rodríguez, who headed it between two defenders and past Barry. It was Rodríguez’s second goal of the tournament and Cuadrado’s third assist. The pro-Colombian crowd went wild as Los Cafeteros approached the bench and danced as one.

The fans were still recovering when Juan Fernando Quintero scored Colombia’s second goal. Six minutes after the opening goal, Rodríguez stole a ball in the middle field and passed it to an open Gutiérrez, who found Quintero, who slid it past Barry with his left foot.

Three minutes later the drama began. Gervinho started from the upper left and entered the box. He swerved right and left, dribbling past defender Camilo Zúñiga and midfielder Carlos Sánchez. He hit a powerful shot past goalie David Ospina, stunning the distracted Colombians.

“My players did not deserve to lose,” Ivory Coast Coach Sabri Lamouchi told reporters after the game. “A draw would have been more deserved.”

A carnival erupted in the stands of the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha as soon as referee Howard Webb blew the whistle for the final time. The celebrations increased as the day progressed. They climaxed after Greece and Japan drew 1-1, sealing Colombia’s place in the round of 16.

Barring a catastrophe against Japan on June 24, Colombia is set to claim Group C. Los Cafeteros needs only a draw to remain as the group’s leader, which will play the second-place team from Group D. The only way Colombia could end up in second place is if they lose against Japan and Ivory Coast defeats Greece by at least four goals.

Colombian fans will now be moving on to the Arena Pantanal in Cuiabá, where they hope to watch their team complete a perfect group stage on June 24.

“We definitely fulfill what we promise,” Pékerman said after the game. “We will never lack the courage we show in all our games.”

World Cup Weekend

Group F: Argentina vs. Iran

When, where: June 21, Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte

Significance: Argentina clinches a spot in the round of 16 with a win, though it isn’t eliminated with a loss or tie. Iran will be hard-pressed to make it out of group play if it doesn’t defeat La Albiceleste.

Last game: Argentina defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2-1, while Iran played Nigeria to a scoreless tie.

Keep an eye on: Argentina: Lionel Messi. Messi got off to a great start in the World Cup by scoring what turned out to be the game-winning goal against Bosnia-Herzegovina when he knocked a shot off the goal post and into the back of the net in the second half. It was the second World Cup goal of his career. Iran: Alireza Haghighi. The goalie was fantastic against Nigeria, leading his team to a much-needed point to open the tournament. He’ll need to be even better against Argentina’s high-powered offense that is among the best in the world.

Key to the game: Argentina: Play to expectations. Make no mistake: Argentina is the superior team and needs to play like it. Argentina is fifth in the FIFA rankings, while Iran checks in at No. 43.Iran: Play aggressively. Iran can’t afford to let Argentina dictate the game’s tempo, as it’s imperative the Iranians attack Argentina.

Projected starting lineups: Argentina: Goalie: Sergio Romero. Defenders: Pablo Zabaleta; Hugo Campagnaro; Federico Fernández; Ezequiel Garay; Marcos Rojo. Midfielders: Maxi Rodríguez; Javier Mascherano; Ángel di María. Forwards: Sergio Agüero; Lionel Messi. Iran: Goalie: Alireza Haghighi. Defenders: Pejman Montazeri; Seyed Hosseini; Amir Hossein Sadeghi; Mehrdad Pooladi. Midfielders: Andranik Teymourian; Javad Nekounam; Ehsan Haji Safi. Forwards: Khosro Heydari; Reza Ghoochannejhad; Ashkan Dejagah.

Group G: United States vs. Portugal

When, where: June 22, Arena Amazônia, Manaus

Significance: The U.S. can advance to the knockout round in consecutive World Cups for the first time in history with a win over the Portuguese. The loss wouldn’t eliminate the U.S., but it likely would need to beat powerful Germany in the group finale on June 26 to advance out of the group stage. The U.S. would be in good shape to advance should they tie the Portuguese. Portugal could be eliminated with a loss if Germany defeats Ghana on June 21.

Last game: The U.S. defeated Ghana, 2-1, while Portugal lost to Germany, 4-0.

Keep an eye on: U.S.: Clint Dempsey. He will have to shoulder the scoring burden with Jozy Altidore sidelined with an injured hamstring. Dempsey needed less than 30 seconds to score against Ghana. Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo. When you win the Ballon d’Or as the best player on the planet, much is expected. Ronaldo didn’t deliver against Germany but can redeem himself by leading Portugal to wins over the U.S. and Ghana to earn a berth in the round of 16.

Key to the game: U.S.: Patience. The U.S. is coming off an emotional victory over Ghana and is in a prime position to emerge from a group that features Germany and Portugal, which are ranked second and fourth in the world by FIFA, well ahead of the U.S. at 13th. The U.S. must be methodical against the Portuguese, who are desperate for a win. Portugal: Play with urgency. Portugal got beat soundly by Germany in the opener and needs to show why it entered the tournament with such lofty expectations. Portugal is more talented than the U.S. but must play like it. It’s crucial Portugal set the tone by grabbing an early lead.

Projected starting lineups: U.S.: Goalie: Tim Howard. Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley; Matt Besler; Geoff Cameron; Fabian Johnson. Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman; Jermaine Jones; Michael Bradley; Alejandro Bedoya; Clint Dempsey. Forward: Aron Johannsson. Portugal: Goalie: Rui Patrício. Defenders: João Pereira; Bruno Alves; Ricardo Costa; Fábio Coentrao. Midfielders: João Moutinho; Miguel Veloso; Raul Meireles. Forwards: Nani; Hugo Almeida; Cristiano Ronaldo.

Chris Swanson contributed to this report.