Bangladeshi soccer fans definitely remember a long haired heavily built goalkeeper advancing suddenly from his bar to take free kicks or penalty for his team, the sensational Colombian goalkeeper Rene Higuita. Another Colombian player of skill was curly haired skillful striker Carlos Valdarama. Colombia is another quality South American team which remains under the shadow of giants Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. It was never favored in the past to win any major world tournament nor it is a favorite this time, too. Yet Colombia is more than capable enough to create some surprises.
Over the last 18 months, Colombia has risen from a trendy “dark horse” pick for an outsider contender at the 2014 world cup to genuine challengers for the trophy. This is quite remarkable given that the 2014 finals will be their first appearance at the tournament for last 16 years. Los Cafeteros boasted an impressive FIFA ranking of 4th entering 2014, as well as two of the most expensive players in European soccer in Radamel Falcao and James Rodríguez, teammates at AS Monaco. Colombia will be looking to exorcize the demons of 1994, where an equally fêted team suffered the embarrassment of exiting at the group stage.
An impressive world cup qualifying campaign saw Colombia lost just four of their 16 games to finish second just behind Argentina. Los Cafeteros (the coffee growers) only confirmed ticket to Brazil in their penultimate match. They came from 0-3 behind against Chile to draw the match 3-3. The Colombians produced some sublime performance along the campaign. A 4-0 thumping of Uruguay in September 2012 indicated a resurgence of Colombia under Peckerman which was followed up with wins against Chile, Paraguay and Bolivia. In a sequence of four matches they scored 14 goals conceding only one. However, the player who was the nucleus behind this, Radmel Falcao got injured and will miss this world cup. His allay Teofilo Guiterrez will lead the charge for Colombia. In January 2014, Colombia potentially lost Falcao for the tournament, as he suffered an injury to his knee ligaments playing for AS Monaco. His potential absence would be a massive blow to Los Cafeteros, as one of the leading strikers in world soccer.
Provisional 30-man Colombia 2014 world cup squad is:
Goalkeepers: David Ospina (Nice), Faryd Mondragón (Deportivo Cali), Camilo Vargas (Independiente Santa Fe).
Defenders: Juan Camilo Zúñiga (Napoli), Santiago Arias (PSV Eindhoven), Luis Amaranto Perea (Cruz Azul), Cristian Zapata (AC Milan), Mario Yepes (Atalanta), Eder Álvarez Balanta (River Plate), Pablo Armero (West Ham United), Aquivaldo Mosquera (Club América), Carlos Valdés (San Lorenzo)
Midfielders: Carlos Sánchez (Elche), Edwin Valencia (Fluminense), Aldo Leao Ramírez (Club de Futbol Monarcas Morelia), Abel Aguilar (Toulouse), Juan Guillermo Cuadrado (Fiorentina), Fredy Guarín (Inter Milan), James Rodríguez (AS Monaco), Macnelly Torres (Al-Shabab), Juan Fernando Quintero (Porto), Alexánder Mejía (Atlético Nacional), Elkin Soto (Mainz), Víctor Ibarbo (Cagliari).
Forwards: Radamel Falcao (Monaco), Carlos Bacca (Sevilla), Jackson Martínez (Porto), Teófilo Gutierrez (River Plate), Adrián Ramos (Hertha Berlín), Luis Fernando Muriel (Udinese).
Coach Pékerman came into the Colombia job amid much controversy, as his predecessor Leonel Álvarez was sacked after only three months in the job. Pékerman, who took his home country of Argentina to the 2006 World Cup, made an impressive start as Colombia’s manager, winning four of his first five matches in charge, but has weathered increasing pressure in recent months as results and performances have become more inconsistent, given several changes of formation and system. Though his sides do not always set up to play in a way that is particularly easy on the eye, Pékerman deserves a lot of credit for taking Colombia back to the finals after a 16-year absence.
Players to watch
The loss of Falcao through injury is a serious blow to Colombia potential. But fortunately Colombia has plenty of depth in the forward stocks to tamper the blow of Falcao’s misfortune. Guiterrez is a feisty front man who has uncanny brilliance of striking the net. Jackson Martinez can be both elegant and explosive. The key person of the team will be 22 year old Los Cafeteros James Rodríguez. He is an attacking midfielder equally adept on either wing or playing more centrally behind the strikers, Rodríguez will be Colombia’s leading light at the summer’s tournament if Falcao misses out through injury, as is suspected.
Having drawn comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo in the past, Rodríguez has the opportunity to prove he is of equal importance to Colombia as the Portuguese is to his country. He will be tasked with linking play, controlling the tempo and creating chances from his advanced position behind the striker.
What can Colombia achieve?
The reward for a strong qualification campaign by Columbia was a world cup seeding and consequently a very manageable group. Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan are not pushovers, but Colombia will be hugely disappointed if they fail to advance to group of sixteen knock out stage. Los Cafeteros have strengths in so many facets of the game that they could overcome all three of their opponents.
Colombia may finish on top of the group which will enable them relatively easier opponent at knock out round. Even without Falcao, Colombia should have enough to qualify from this group in first place. England lies in wait in the second round and this looks an incredibly tight match-up on paper. It is something of a cliché to say it could go either way. Roy Hodgson’s side has enough to shade it. If Pékerman can guide his side past the first knock out phase Span or Brazil may be their quarter final opponent. Going beyond quarter may be too much of an ask for the present Colombian team.
BDST: 1050HRS, MAY 26, 2014
