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Talking Points: Can Colombia tick without James Rodriguez?

Published at :June 28, 2018 at 10:11 PM
Modified at :December 13, 2023 at 1:01 PM
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(Courtesy : FIFA)

Atrayo Bhattacharya


Senegal came up short against Los Cafeteros who progressed to the next round at their expense.

The most exciting and unpredictable group of the World Cup ended with heartbreak for Senegal as the Lions of Teranga missed out on the knockout rounds of the FIFA World Cup by a whisker. Colombia came into this game knowing they had to win and thankfully, a great header from Yerry Mina bailed them out in a very cagey affair against the Africans.

5. VAR made the big difference

When Davinson Sanchez brought down a forward moving Sadio Mane in the penalty box, most of the spectators thought that the Tottenham defender had conceded a spot-kick, with even the referee initially pointing to the spot.

But, after checking it on the VAR and assessing the last ditch tackle, it was clear that the Colombian defender got the ball first with a fair tackle. The decision was overturned and Colombia were saved from an early scare. So, considering the whole qualification scenario, it has to be said that VAR played a major role in deciding the match.

4. James Rodriguez's injury will be a big blow for Colombia

The Colombian midfielder announced himself to world football with his heroics in the tournament four years ago in Brazil. But, fate had other ideas for the Bayern Munich midfielder this time around. James started the first match on the bench, but returned strongly to the starting XI with a great performance against Poland.

However, Los Cafeteros lost their star man midway this game against Senegal. With Colombia qualifying for the knockout stages, they will need their talisman to step up again and hopefully James can turn things around and take his nation to soaring heights in Russia.

3. Yerry Mina was the man of the hour for Colombia

The Barcelona defender seems to bail out his team every time they are in danger. Last time he scored the opening goal against Poland and now in a do-or-die game against Senegal he did the same.

Los Cefeteros hardly had openings in the game thanks to a strong Senegalese defence, but the 23-year-old had other ideas as he is making a habit of scoring crucial goals. The towering young defender has a really good goalscoring record having scored four times for the Latinos in only 14 matches. It was his goal against the Lions of Teranga which separated both sides on the day. 

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2. Juan Quintero has been a revelation for the South Americans

In a team with the likes of Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao and Juan Cuadrado, the unheralded Juan Quintero from River Plate has made the difference for Colombia. The 25-year-old former FC Porto man has been nothing less than a revelation at the heart of the Colombian midfield. Quintero marked his presence with an extremely clever under-the-wall free-kick against Japan and then backed that up with another stellar show against Poland.

With every match he is just getting better. His left-footed corner-kick found Mina's head which gave the Latinos the ticket to the knockout rounds. Looking at his skills and big game temperament, he will be topping the wishlist of several big European clubs this summer.

1. Despite their inspiring performances, Senegal fell short

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The Lions of Teranga have given a very good account of themselves even though they are out of the tournament, as they played a great brand of football, starting with brisk passing, high pressing and swift counter-attacks, they had it all.

But, Aliou Cisse's men came second best on the day when it mattered most. The African side failed to convert their chances ithroughout the match and things weren't easy when they had to beat an in-form David Ospina, the Arsenal goalkeeper was sensational and made some crucial saves which kept Colombia in the game.

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