BRASILIA // Two quick second-half goals led Colombia to a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast as the South Americans all but booked their place in the knock-out stages of the World Cup.
James Rodriguez opened the scoring in the 64th minute, before substitute Juan Quintero added a second six minutes later. Gervinho later struck a wonderful solo effort for the Africans, but they could not find an equaliser.
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Colombia were unchanged from the side that steamrollered Greece, while Sabri Lamouchi, the Ivory Coast coach, made one change to the team that beat Japan. The injured Ismael Diomande was replaced with St Etienne midfielder Max Gradel as Lamouchi, again, opted to save talismanic Didier Drogba for a second-half cameo.
Drogba had proved inspirational in the 2-1 win over Japan, with both his side’s goals coming within four minutes of the Galatasaray striker’s 62nd minute introduction, but it was Wilfried Bony who got the nod to lead the line.
With both teams opting to attack from deep, the early stages proved as open as a window on a warm afternoon. And it was a warm afternoon: Brasilia’s famously dry climate had reached around 27 degrees by kick-off. Lamouchi had refused to use the temperature as an excuse, yet it was his side that found themselves on the back-foot early on.
Teofilo Gutierrez drilled wide after a clever lay-off from James Rodriguez, before the latter combined well with Juan Cuadrado only for the Ivorian defence to divert clear. As early as the 13th minute, Colombia looked destined to be caught by a swooping counter-attack, but lone defender Didier Zokora managed to intercept with three South Americans bearing down on goal.
Neither side managed to really test their opposing goalkeeper in the first 45 minutes yet it proved an enjoyable period of football. Quick feet from Napoli’s Juan Zuniga produced a roar as the ball was slipped through a pair of Ivorian legs, while at the opposite end Gervinho and Yaya Toure delivered impressive moments of individual skill.
The best scoring chance of the first half fell to Gutierrez, who was found unmarked six yards out only to side-foot wide of the upright. When the whistle blew, the Colombians, for all their attacking intent, had only managed one shot on target.
Neither side made any personnel changes at the interval, but what had been flamboyant and fast-paced was now all that and more. Didier Zokora picked up a yellow and will miss next game, Wilfried Bony came close to connecting with an audacious bicycle kick and Gradel almost capitalised on questionable defending by Pablo Armero.
When Cuadrado struck the post, Lamouchi played his joker, introducing Drogba for the ineffective Bony after 60 minutes. Once more, his introduction resulted in goals.
First, the ever-impressive Rodriguez powered home a header from Cuadrado’s corner after giving Drogba the slip, then, six minutes later, Colombia doubled their lead through substitute Juan Quintero, who finished a quick counter-attack. Ivory Coast remained true to their attacking game though and Gervinho, an entirely different player to the winger who failed to shine at Arsenal, wonderfully danced through a sea of bodies before firing past David Ospina.
For the remaining 18 minutes, with the game visibly stretched, a fourth goal looked certain. Mario Yepes uncharacteristically miscontrolled in the Colombian defence, but as the packed stadium inhaled loudly, Ospina came out to clear. As the clock-ran down, the party began. Colombia, backed by strong South American support, will now almost certainly progress to the knock-out stages for the first time since 1990. Ivory Coast, should they progress, know they must win against Greece.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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