Colombia vs England
Colombia- After falling to Japan 2-1 in the opener while picking up a red card in the 3rd minute of play, Los Cafeteros cruised past Poland 3-0 before squeaking out a 1-0 win against Senegal to take the top spot in Group H. With Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina and a stout defense led by Barcelona standout Yerry Mina, Colombia ceded just two goals in their three group matches. They have a strong midfield led by Juan Cuadrado, Mateus Uribe and James Rodriguez, who is their chief playmaker. The team’s go-to guy up front is Radamel Falcao, who has been quiet in this tournament but always remain a threat. With Rodriguez substituted early in the last match due to a recurrent calf injury, more will be expected of Falcao and fellow striker Luis Muriel if they are to advance further in the tournament.
England- They were plenty of doubters when Gareth Southgate was given the reins of the England national team. But after seeing the Three Lions tank the past few years, he has proven to be a breath of fresh air. Unlike the German squad, Southgate has chosen a young and largely untested team to represent England. Make no mistake-this is a hungry group of competitors who want to make their mark on the world stage. 24-year- old Team Captain Harry Kane is their main offensive threat up front, while 31- year- old Jamie Vardy rides the bench. Their back line are in their mid- twenties, with 32-year- old Gary Cahill on the bench for support. The same is true for their midfield, with Fabian Delph and Jordan Henderson the “old men’ at age 28. Gone are the days of a starting 11 over the age of 30 for the Three Lions. This is a team that will only get better in the next few years.
Prediction- Colombia has the potential to improve their quality of play, having underperformed thus far in this tournament. But with some of their players looking tired and James Rodriguez carrying a knock into this match, it’s hard to see Colombia matching up well against England. The Three Lions will have the better of play and send Los Cafeteros home by the score of 2-1.