Japan 1-4 Colombia: Rodriguez crushes the "Blue Samurai"
Colombia defeated Japan to complete a perfect record in the group stage and top Group C. Their opponent in the round of 16 will be Uruguay.
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| James Rodriguez shone brightly, helping Colombia secure a resounding victory. |
GOAL
Japan: Okazaki (45')
Colombia: Cuadrado (17'), Martinez (55', 82'), Rodriguez (90')
Jose Pekerman's team is one of the biggest surprises at this tournament, having beaten Greece 3-0 in their opening match, before going on to overcome Ivory Coast with a 2-1 victory.
Having already secured their place in the knockout round, and fielding a team with eight changes from the win against Ivory Coast, it seemed Colombia would "let go" of Japan in the final match and not be determined to win. This was further demonstrated when, apart from Juan Cuadrado's penalty goal in the 17th minute, the South American team had to endure tremendous pressure from Shinji Kagawa and his teammates.
Despite numerous attacks, Japan finally scored the equalizer in the final minute of the first half. From the right wing, Keisuke Honda crossed the ball to Shinji Okazaki, who leaped and headed it into the net past David Ospina, just as the Colombian defenders were marking him.
Following this incident, as if suddenly awakened, coach Pekerman made two consecutive substitutions in an attempt to secure a victory. Star player James Rodriguez and young striker Carlos Carbonero were brought on to replace Cuadrado and Juan Quintero at the start of the second half.
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| Martinez shone with a brace. |
Those changes immediately paid off. At the start of the second half, Colombia played much better, and after just 10 minutes, they scored their second goal. Rodriguez provided the clever assist for Jackson Martinez's powerful shot that beat goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima.
The period that followed saw tireless efforts from the Asian representatives. Shinji Kagawa and Yoshito Okubo repeatedly threatened David Ospina's goal, but a lack of finishing prevented Japan from equalizing the score a second time.
Despite numerous ineffective attacks, Japan paid the price in the 82nd minute from a textbook counter-attack, once again stemming from a clever through pass by Rodriguez. Martinez broke free, controlled the ball with one touch, and then fired a shot into the far corner to double the lead. Just eight minutes later, the young Monaco talent produced a skillful and calm finish, chipping the ball over Kawashima to seal a 4-1 victory for Colombia.
A memorable night for the Colombian national team, for James Rodriguez, and for veteran goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who was brought on by coach Pekerman late in the match to become the oldest player ever to participate in a World Cup (43 years old).
Starting lineup:
JAPAN:Kawashima; Uchida, Konno, Yoshida, Nagatomo; Aoyama (Yamaguchi 62'), Hasebe, Honda; Kagawa (Kiyotake 85'), Okubo, Okazaki (Kakitani 69')
COLOMBIA:Ospina (Mondragon 85'); Arias, Armero, Balanta, Valdez; Cuadrado (Carbonero 46'), Mejia, Quintero (Rodriguez 46'), Guarin; Martinez, Ramos.
