Japan 1-4 Colombia: Rodriguez crushes "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 shines brightly to help Colombia win big |
GOAL
Japan: Okazaki (45')
Colombia: Cuadrado (17'), Martinez (55', 82'), Rodriguez (90')
Jose Pekerman's team is one of the biggest surprises in this tournament when they defeated Greece 3-0 in the opening match, before continuing to beat Ivory Coast with a score of 2-1.
Having officially secured a ticket to the knockout round, and taking the field with a squad with 8 changes compared to the victory over Ivory Coast, it seemed that Colombia would "let go" of Japan in the final match and not be determined to win. This was further proven when, in addition to Juan Cuadrado's penalty goal in the 17th minute, the South American representative had to endure terrible pressure from Shinji Kagawa and his teammates.
Despite their heavy attacks, Japan finally equalized in the final minute of the first half. From the right wing, Keisuke Honda crossed for Shinji Okazaki to head past David Ospina under the watchful eyes of Colombian defenders.
After this situation, as if awakened, Coach Pekerman made two consecutive substitutions to find a victory. Number one star James Rodriguez and young striker Carlos Carbonero were sent onto the field to replace Cuadrado and Juan Quintero right at the start of the second half.
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| Martinez shined with a double |
The changes paid off immediately. Colombia played with a lot more presence in the second half, and within 10 minutes they had their second goal. Rodriguez was the clever passer for Jackson Martinez to finish off a tricky shot past goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima.
The following period witnessed the tireless efforts of the Asian representatives. Shinji Kagawa and Yoshito Okubo continuously threatened David Ospina's goal, but the weakness in finishing prevented Japan from leveling the score for the second time.
Despite their ineffective attacks, Japan paid the price in the 82nd minute from a perfect counter-attack, once again from a clever through ball from Rodriguez. Martinez got down to receive the ball, controlled it for a moment and then finished into the far corner to double the lead. Just 8 minutes later, the young Monaco talent himself had a technical move and calmly chipped the ball past 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 onto the field by coach Pekerman at the end of the match to make his name as the oldest player ever to participate in a World Cup (43 years old).
Line-up:
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.