FALCAO & CO AIM TO CAUSE A SEN-SATION
COLOMBIA kept their World Cup dream alive – and the bad news for England is that the South Americans look like a team to be reckoned with.
Goals by Barcelona defender Yerry Mina and Premier League rejects Radamel Falcao and Juan Cuadrado sent Poland home.
It means coach Jose Pekerman’s men head into their last game against Senegal on Thursday with their fate in their own hands.
And a potential last-16 showdown with Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions is on the cards.
Senegal and Japan lead group H on four points apiece – while Poland can book their tickets home, after losing their first two group games.
Colombia, beaten by Japan in their opening game after playing 87 minutes with 10 men, looked increasingly like the team who were quarter-finalists in Brazil four years ago.
An estimated 30,000 Colombian supporters have made the trip to Russia – and the yellow-shirted hordes who turned the Kazan Arena into a mini-bogota will also be a factor.
Colombia had to wait until five minutes before half-time before getting the breakthrough but, once Mina opened the scoring, it was game over.
Johan Mojica and Juan Quintero combined at a short corner to spring James Rodriguez and his delicious cross into the heart of the Poles’ six-yard box was gobbled up by the leaping Mina.
Poland went out of the tournamant with a whimper. Robert Lewandowski may have scored 16 goals in qualification, but the hitman’s only sniff of a goal came just before the hour. He broke clear, only for Arsenal keeper David Ospina to race out to block.
Falcao wasted one great chance – blazing over from 18 yards – but the striker, who couldn’t make it at Manchester United or Chelsea after a serious injury, didn’t miss when Quintero sent him racing through the middle. Falcao’s classy finish, with the outside of his left foot, gave Poland keeper Wojciech Szczesny no chance.
Cuadrado was another who failed to make the grade at Stamford Bridge. But when Rodriguez’s stunning switch of play caught Poland out, the winger showed great pace and perfect placement into the corner. No wonder Colombian legends Rene Higuita and Carlos
Valderrama danced in delight in the posh seats.
Pekerman dedicated the win to Carlos Sanchez, the defender who received death threats following his red card in the defeat by Japan.
Pekerman said: “This victory is dedicated to Carlos because he has had a tough time. We want to share this night with him. It is something that all the squad feels.
“We were playing with the pressure of having to win. There was no room for any mistakes, but we shouldered that responsibility by playing beautiful football.
“Now we have a good position in this World Cup.”