Qualification: 4th in CONMEBOL qualifying. Colombia scraped into the World Cup on the final day of qualifying playing away against Peru. James Rodriguez scored to put Colombia up but Peru equalised, though other results meant that a draw would be enough for both sides (Colombia qualifying directly and Peru entering a playoff). Somewhat controversially, both sides took their foot off the accelerator and played for the draw and both eventually qualified for the World Cup at the expense of Chile. Colombia weren’t totally convincing during qualifying, particularly against the traditional powers in South America, losing 4 and drawing 2 of their games against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
World Cup Appearance: 6th (First, 1962; Most recent, 2014)
Best Result at a World Cup: Quarter finals (2014)
World Ranking: 8.
Coach: Jose Pekerman. Formerly manager of his native Argentina, Pekerman is beloved in Colombia for leading Los Cafeteros to their first World Cup in 16 years and subsequently reaching the quarter finals. The feeling is mutual with Pekerman becoming a naturalised citizen of Colombia in 2013 after he first led them to qualification. The idiosyncratic Pekerman is known for his tinkering with his sides lineups and tactics until he finds the right combination, he used 41 players in qualifying and it seems likely that apart from a core group of almost guaranteed starters, the team is liable vary from match to match.
Captain: Radamel Falcao. Falcao missed the 2014 World Cup with an ACL injury that also severely impacted his club career during his two years in England with Manchester United and then Chelsea. However since then he’s back in form for Monaco and has returned to the national team setup to retake the starting striker role from Carlos Bacca. He’ll be looking to make up for lost time and do what he couldn’t 4 years ago, lead Colombia to World Cup glory.
Key Player: James Rodriguez. The breakout star of the 2014 World Cup, James is still the main man for Colombia coming off the back of a strong season for Bayern Munich. A prototypical modern number 10, he has all the technical ability and footballing acumen in the world and is very handy as a goalscorer as well. I don’t think he’ll win the Golden Boot again this year but I am expecting brilliant performances and a few goals from the man seen as the successor to Carlos Valderrama (minus the hair).
One to Watch: Davinson Sanchez. Colombia’s defence has undergone a major overhaul in the last 4 years, with Cristian Zapata the only starter from 2014 who is still in the equation for Pekerman. Fortunately, for Colombia, Davinson Sanchez has stepped up to fill the hole left by the retirement of Mario Yepes. Sanchez was one of the signings of the season in the Premier League for Spurs, slotting straight into their starting lineup and not missing a beat after his move from Ajax.
Miroslav Klose Award: Carlos Sanchez. If you showed me footage of Carlos Sanchez during his stint at Aston Villa and then footage of Sanchez playing for Colombia, I’d find it difficult to believe they’re the same player. For the national team, he’s a key figure in central midfield, breaking up opposition attacks and bringing structure to the centre of the park.
Colombia’s formation has varied greatly throughout qualification, with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation the most likely at the World Cup. Colombia have pretty good depth, especially in terms of forwards and midfielders and a coach not afraid to make changes, so expect a bit of rotation.
David Ospina starts in goals, despite a lack of playing time for Arsenal this season. He can be a bit error prone but is still Colombia’s best keeper. Davinson Sanchez starts in the centre of defence, though who starts alongside him is up for grabs. Yerry Mina is talented but a poor start to his career at Barcelona might see him lose his spot to either Oscar Murillo or the experienced Cristian Zapata. Right full back will be occupied by Santiago Arias, while the left back position is a bit tenuous with Frank Fabra injured just days before the World Cup. Johan Mojica will come into the side, with Farid Diaz a late call up due to Fabra’s injury. In the centre of the park, Carlos Sanchez is their defensive lynchpin with his midfield partner dependant on how Pekerman wants his side to play. Abel Aguilar would be the defensive option, though it seems likely that Wilmar Barrios or Mateus Uribe will get the nod. The side’s talisman James Rodriguez will start in an attacking midfield role, if Colombia want to play an ultra attacking style, he could play deeper with Juan Quintero as the CAM. In terms of wide players, Colombia have a few options, Juan Cuadrado is their most experienced winger and will probably start on the right wing, while on the left Jose Izquierdo is the natural fit. However, its likely that Pekerman will shift a forward onto one of the wings at some point, likely Luis Muriel, putting his pace to good use. Up front, Radamel Falcao will start, though Carlos Bacca is a deadly finisher when on form and Pekerman could even shift the formation around to see him in the starting XI.
Prediction: They’ll get out of the group stages and are very capable of making it through to the quarters. I’ll say they win a shootout to get there.
World Cup Moment: 2014 was a massive tournament for Colombia, finally Colombian side delivered on their promise, after the talented side of the 90’s failed to make their mark on the world stage. Colombia were drawn in a fairly even group but soon emerged as the standout side in group C, winning in style against Greece, Cote D’Ivoire and Japan. Facing off against Uruguay in the round of 16, the match seemed like one that could go wrong for Colombia, who tended to play below expectations, in contrast to Uruguay (sans Luis Suarez), who had a knack for playing above their talent level. On 28 minutes, these concerns dissipated as James Rodriguez scored a truly stunning goal, controlling the ball on his chest on the edge of the box and lashing a volley past Fernando Muslera. In the 50th minute, James doubled Colombia’s lead, with Pablo Armero sending in a ball that was headed back across goals by Juan Cuadrado into the path of Rodriguez who made no mistake. The win sent Colombia into the quarter finals for the first time, where they were unlucky to lose 2-1 to the hosts Brazil.
World Cup Delirium 