Brazil up against upbeat Colombia
5 July 2014 4:04 AM IST
Brazil and Colombia enter the World Cup quarterfinals with totally different mindsets. While Brazil are surrounded by doubts after a more difficult start than expected to the tournament it is hosting, Colombia are upbeat after convincing performances and four straight wins. While the hosts narrowly beat Chile in a penalty shootout to avoid elimination in the second round, the Colombians had a convincing 2-0 win over Uruguay to reach the quarterfinals for the first time. The South American rivals play on Friday in the northeastern city of Fortaleza, with Brazil hoping to keep alive its quest for a sixth World Cup title and Colombia aiming to extend its best ever run in football’s showcase event.
Despite its tradition and home-field advantage, Brazil is far from a big favourite. An uncomfortable opening win over Croatia, a draw with Mexico and a win over Cameroon in the group stage preceded the tight knockout match against Chile, when Brazil advanced on penalties. ‘It’s normal to have people demanding we play better. But it’s also normal what we have been seeing in this World Cup so far. Matches are being decided on penalties, in the final minutes, on mistakes,’ Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said.
Colombia has won all of its matches without any real difficulty, thanks in part to the tournament’s second-best attack with 11 goals, one less than the Netherlands. It also has a strong defense with only two goals conceded.Brazil, meanwhile, has scored eight goals and conceded three. ‘We’re very happy because we are making history. We want to do even more because this is a team that really wants to win,’ said Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez, the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals.
Colombia have beaten Brazil only twice, the last time in the 1991 Copa America, but the teams have drawn the last four matches they played, including in a 2012 friendly in New York. Brazil has reached the quarterfinals in six consecutive World Cups, but was eliminated at this stage in the last two.
The host nation’s hopes of going farther into the tournament this time remain on the shoulders of Neymar, who has scored four goals and has been decisive for his team. The striker injured his right knee against Chile but team doctors said he will be fit to play at the Arena Castelao. Colombia is relying mostly on Rodriguez, one of the stars of the World Cup so far.
Despite its tradition and home-field advantage, Brazil is far from a big favourite. An uncomfortable opening win over Croatia, a draw with Mexico and a win over Cameroon in the group stage preceded the tight knockout match against Chile, when Brazil advanced on penalties. ‘It’s normal to have people demanding we play better. But it’s also normal what we have been seeing in this World Cup so far. Matches are being decided on penalties, in the final minutes, on mistakes,’ Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said.
Colombia has won all of its matches without any real difficulty, thanks in part to the tournament’s second-best attack with 11 goals, one less than the Netherlands. It also has a strong defense with only two goals conceded.Brazil, meanwhile, has scored eight goals and conceded three. ‘We’re very happy because we are making history. We want to do even more because this is a team that really wants to win,’ said Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez, the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals.
Colombia have beaten Brazil only twice, the last time in the 1991 Copa America, but the teams have drawn the last four matches they played, including in a 2012 friendly in New York. Brazil has reached the quarterfinals in six consecutive World Cups, but was eliminated at this stage in the last two.
The host nation’s hopes of going farther into the tournament this time remain on the shoulders of Neymar, who has scored four goals and has been decisive for his team. The striker injured his right knee against Chile but team doctors said he will be fit to play at the Arena Castelao. Colombia is relying mostly on Rodriguez, one of the stars of the World Cup so far.
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