F.I.F.A. World Cup 2014: Japan V Columbia, Match Report.

First published by Ace Magazine online. June 2014.

If the world of football, and its many critics, were shocked by events in the match involving Uruguay and Italy in the afternoon then surely there would have been many a smile on the same faces a few minutes before the end of the near one sided game involving arguably the best team from South America so far in this tournament and the men from Japan.

In a world that at times pours scorn on sentiment, on public displays of emotion, the sight of Columbia’s Faryd Mondragón coming onto the pitch as goalkeeping substitute, being embraced by the man he replaced and becoming the oldest player to ever play in the World Cup Finals was as wonderful as the disgrace of biting allegations once more being placed squarely at the mouth of Luis Suarez. To have these events take place on the same day shows the best and absolute worst of football.

For Faryd Mondragón to come on and take part in what was, like Holland’s game against Spain, a near walk over, was nothing more than he deserved. A man who can trace his world cup heritage to 1994, 20 years ago, a man who was best friends with murdered Columbian player Andreas Escobar, the applause he received as he placed himself between the Columbian goalposts would have reverberated around the world.

If Luis Suarez finds himself on the end of well-deserved ban, and it would be a travesty if he wasn’t, then Faryd Mondragón more than deserves the other side of the coin, the public adoration of a man who has been a model professional.

The game itself was never really going to be in doubt, the fact that it took Columbia as long as it did to open the scoring might raise a few eyebrows but so far and with Holland aside they have been a team in which you find drooling from the mouth with. The sheer beauty of watching James Rodríguez is something to take from this World Cup and relish, of the work rate employed by the side is to be admired and the guts in their overall performance, surely the best that a South American side has managed.

Japan were always likely to be the rank outsiders of the group, the game it seems still very much in its infancy in the far east but they are not without world class players, however, they really don’t compare with those in the employ of the Columbian F.A. Each man in yellow ran the line perfectly; they snuffed out danger on many occasions and marched on to the last 16 with maximum points. No mean feat, no mean team.

It took the best part of a quarter of an hour though for the game to come alive and from there the Columbians never looked back. They may have given away a goal from nowhere before the break but it was a rare moment of thoughtlessness which allowed Shinji Okazaki room to score but it was the last time that Japan would really tease the Columbian defence in such a way. With James Rodríguez being used as a substitute, arguably to rest him for the week ahead, it was finally time for Jackson Martínez to make his mark on the field, he would be the first to admit though he could not have done it without the sublime skill of Rodríguez feeding him for a perfectly placed shot from 15 yards. The emotion was etched all over Martinez’s face, the relief palpable and even here in the U.K. you could almost hear the cheer and applause.

With Éder Balanta escaping a red card offence for swinging back an arm forcibly onto the face of Shinji Okazaki, there will be those who say Columbia were a tad fortunate to finish the game with 11 men however a third goal for the Columbians, a second for Martinez, and the most sublime piece of skill and unruffled finish by James Rodríguez put the game completely out of sight for the Japanese.

This was game of many feelings, pride for Faryd Mondragón, awe in James Rodríguez and honour for Jackson Martínez. It is perhaps fitting that Columbia play Uruguay in the next round, the good, the bad and the footballing ugly all coming together on the same day, there won’t be many outside of Uruguay that will be cheering on the Group C runner’s up. Why would you when Columbia have been outstanding?

Japan: Eiji Kawashima, Atsuto Uchida, Maya Yoshida, Yasuyuki Konno, Yuto Nagatomo, Toshihiro Aoyama, Makoto Hasebe, Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda, Yoshito Ōkubo, Shinji Kagawa.