Amongst the shame and disgust at Luis Suarez’s actions in Natal, Colombia gave the football world reason to smile and rejoice yesterday, writes Declan Olley (@declanolley).
The 84th minute substitute appearance of goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon meant the 43-year-old became the oldest player in World Cup history. It was a moment that put the beauty back into the game.
The story is a simple yet romantic one. After being knocked out in the group stages by England in the 1998 World Cup, Mondragon, Colombia’s number one ‘keeper at the time was desperate for another taste of World Cup action.
But the opportunity looked to have slipped away from him after Colombia failed to qualify for the following three tournaments.
So after sixteen years of pain, Mondragon has done the unimaginable at 43 and subsequently written himself into the history books – much like what this Colombian team are trying to do now.
Their 4-1 win over Japan was their third successive victory at this World Cup – before 2014, they had only ever won a total of three games at the World Cup – and they are now bidding to record
their best ever World Cup performance by reaching the quarter-finals.
Mondragon knows they are on the cusp of greatness. “The fact that we finish this round with nine points gives us a huge emotional boost going forward,” he told FIFA.com afterwards. “In terms of how we are playing and performing as a team we are also making history right now.”
At the forefront of this is 22-year-old James Rodriguez. Introduced at half-time against Japan the Monaco man changed the game laying on two assists and scoring one of the goals of the tournament – some impact. If he can continue this form then he will surely be a contender for the Golden Ball and, having scored three goals, the Golden Boot.
His supporting cast is strong. Winger Juan Cuadrado has been a revelation on the right-hand side with his powerful runs and high-quality end product. Juan Quintero, Colombia’s rising star, has played his part too.
Up front Teofilo Gutierrez and Jackson Martinez have been in the goals and offer a good reference point for the attack.
Yet the absence of Radamel Falcao cannot be ignored. How much better would Colombia have been if the Monaco striker had not been injured? And would he have changed the dynamics of this side?
Colombia’s positive performances though have kept this issue under wraps and, unlike the Ivory Coast or Portugal, they have proven the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
“We are very happy,” said Colombian boss Jose Pekerman after his side’s defeat of Japan. “We have won a very difficult match, as expected. We feel confident because we have proved once again that Colombia is a very close-knit group. It is wonderful to have a team like this.”
It has been wonderful too for viewers, who not only get to watch a fluent team committed to attacking football but are treated to a yellow wall of noise which has spurred the players on.
Quintero told FIFA.com: “It’s like we’re playing in Barranquilla. The fans are 100 percent behind us and that makes us feel great.
“We’re playing for our people and we want to make them as happy as we can.”
Not only have they done that, but they have won over the hearts and minds of every football fan.
