Colombia advances to last 16 after beating Ghana 1-0

Colombia beat Ghana 1-0 in the sweltering Kansas City heat to secure a place in the last 16 of the World Cup. John Arias scored the only goal of the match. The victory continued their quiet run in the tournament, proving them to be one of the most dangerous dark horses of the tournament.

Arias’ goal in the 14th minute of the match ultimately decided the outcome of the match. He headed home a perfect cross from substitute Luis Suarez. Nestor Lorenzo’s men then did the rest. Colombia, relying on a disciplined defense, maintained their unbeaten record and booked their ticket to the next round.

However, despite finishing top of Group ‘K’, beating teams like Portugal, Uzbekistan and DR Congo, Colombia was not much talked about in the tournament.

Colombia suffered a major setback in the eighth minute of Friday’s match. John Cordoba was forced off with a groin injury, bringing on Suarez. But the unexpected change was a blow. When Suarez’s excellent cross to the back post was found by Arias in the gap, the Ghanaian defence forgot to mark him.

Arias, with great composure and determination, fired the ball into the net from a corner kick, giving Colombia a well-deserved lead in the match.

The Kansas City stadium felt like Colombia’s home ground, Barranquilla. The thousands of Colombian fans in the stands turned the match against Ghana, 60 places lower in the rankings, into a virtual home match. Such a frenzy is rare for a South American team so far from home.

The gallery was awash with yellow jerseys, flowing scarves and the traditional black-and-white ‘sombrero vuelta’ hats, many of them cooling themselves in the 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) heat.