History in the World Cup
The Coffee Growers have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 6 times. They first qualified for the tournament in 1962, but failed to impress, going out in the group stages. They then had to wait 28 years to qualify for the second time, and they did better in 1990 as they reached the round of 16 for the first time. They qualified for the 1994 and 1998 editions as well but faltered in the group stages. Their best ever performance came in the most recent world cup as they reached the quarter finals on the back of impressive performances from James Rodriguez. Colombia will be looking to emulate their performance from 4 years ago, and they certainly have the quality to do that.
Current Form
Colombia have been in good form since the start of 2017. They have played 13 games and have lost only 2 of those. They have won 5 games while drawing 6 games. Their offensive problems are a bit worrying, scoring only 20 goals during this span, and 8 of them were scored against the weaklings Cameroon and China. Their defence is solid as always and they will be relying on the experience of Zapata and Arias to reach the knockout phase.
Squad
Manager : José Pékerman
Goalkeepers: David Ospina, Camilo Vargas, Jose Fernando Cuadrado.
Defenders: Cristian Zapata, Davinson Sanchez, Santiago Arias, Oscar Murillo, Frank Fabra, Johan Mojica, Yerry Mina.
Midfielders: Wílmar Barrios, Carlos Sanchez, Jefferson Lerma, Jose Izquierdo, James Rodriguez, Abel Aguilar, Mateus Uribe, Juan Fernando Quintero, Juan Cuadrado.
Forwards: Radamel Falcao, Miguel Borja, Carlos Bacca, Luis Fernando Muriel.
Danger Man
Colombia will be relying on James for that spark of creativity to kickstart their dire offence. The Bayern man on loan from 13 time Champions League winners Real Madrid has been in great form, scoring 7 goals while assisting 11 goals during his time at Bayern. He excels at taking set pieces as well as through balls, and while he doesn’t win many duels in the air, his passing will be the key for Colombia, especially with the experienced Falcao leading the line.
Rankings
FIFA - Current 9
Highest 3
ELO - Current 16
Highest 3
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