2 hours ago
Ghana tin only person feared nan worst erstwhile Luis Suárez’s number came up successful nan seventh minute. A time connected from nan 16th day of 1 of nan astir infamous episodes successful World Cup history, nan Colombia guardant who shares a sanction pinch nan man whose handball collapsed nan hearts of Black Stars supporters successful nan quarter-finals of nan 2010 World Cup returned to haunt them.
Not agelong aft coming disconnected nan bench, it was nan Sporting striker who provided nan assistance for what turned retired to beryllium nan winning extremity from Jhon Arias to group up a last-16 conflict against Switzerland successful Vancouver connected Tuesday. Even if they couldn’t find different extremity that their superiority intelligibly warranted, Colombia were deserved winners and look much than tin of astatine slightest matching their erstwhile champion consequence astatine nan 2014 World Cup erstwhile they reached nan past eight.
This was Ghana’s first knockout lucifer since that fateful time successful Johannesburg erstwhile Suárez and Uruguay prevented them from becoming nan first African squad to scope nan semi-finals. But this is simply a constricted squad that has astir apt overachieved nether nan knowledgeable Carlos Queiroz by making it this far. A deficiency of productivity successful nan absence of Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus was laid bare here.
Néstor Lorenzo had revealed beforehand that arsenic accustomed he had taken proposal from his 89-year-old mother earlier facing Ghana. “She hasn’t fixed maine immoderate circumstantial instructions for this match, but she is ever attentive and pursuing it pinch love,” said nan erstwhile Argentina defender who was portion of nan broadside that were defeated successful nan 1990 World Cup final.
With nan yellow-shirted Colombia supporters vastly outnumbering their counterparts from westbound Africa, their head knew nan onus was connected his broadside to return nan crippled to Ghana. But it was Thomas Partey who almost opened nan scoring wrong nan opening 2 minutes arsenic his changeable whistled past nan post. A suspected hamstring wounded to main striker Jhon Córdoba aft he fought pinch Jerome Opoku forced Colombia into an early alteration arsenic Suárez – who scored 28 times successful Portugal past play but has been utilized chiefly disconnected nan chair present truthful acold – was introduced. A distraught Marvin Senaya besides had to beryllium replaced soon aft an incident involving Luis Díaz erstwhile nan Bayern Munich guardant was adamant he should person had a penalty, though it looked much for illustration a dive.
The alteration seemed to impact Ghana’s organisation that was truthful awesome successful nan stalemate against England during nan group stages. Predictably it was Suárez who recovered abstraction down nan correct flank and he made nan astir of his 2nd effort to transverse nan shot by picking retired nan unmarked Arias astatine nan acold post. Teenage midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi was blameworthy of losing his man.
Another bad omen for Ghana was that they had grounded to triumph immoderate of their 3 erstwhile World Cup games matches against South American nations, having besides mislaid to Brazil successful 2006 successful nan past 16 earlier being beaten again by Uruguay 4 years agone during nan group stages. Chasing games is not really Queiroz has made his sanction astatine 4 erstwhile World Cups and they were subjected to boos from nan Colombia fans during 1 transition of play erstwhile they seemed reluctant to play a guardant pass.
after newsletter promotion
Alidu Seidu, Senaya’s replacement astatine right-back, past gave distant possession successful a vulnerable area and a amended decorativeness from Díaz would person fixed Ghana a immense upland to climb. Goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi – recalled aft wounded – past came to their rescue pinch a flying prevention to contradict Johan Mojica’s header from a delicious Daniel Muñoz cross.
James Rodríguez looked disappointed to beryllium hauled disconnected astatine nan break, moreover if nan champion days of nan 34-year-old, who starred connected their erstwhile tally to nan quarter-finals successful 2014, are intelligibly down him. Ghana again made a quicker commencement arsenic Antoine Semenyo’s transverse fizzed crossed nan look of goal. Díaz thought he had doubled nan lead, only for nan linesman’s emblem to trim short his and René Higuita’s celebrations successful nan stands earlier different effort was saved by Ati-Zigi. Ghana were hanging connected for their lives. Queiroz threw connected Leicester’s Abdul Fatawu arsenic 1 of 4 substitutes successful an effort to unit other time. But Colombia still looked much apt to people arsenic Davinson Sánchez saw his header from a area saved and nan substitute, Jaminton Campaz, besides came close. With a imaginable showdown against Argentina to travel successful nan past 8 if they tin get past Switzerland, location will beryllium overmuch bigger tests to travel than Ghana could manage.
