The World Cup is entering its most intense phase, and the last match of the historic first 1/32-finals in the expanded format with 48 teams pits two radically different football worlds.
At the stadium in Kansas City, the winner of Group K - Colombia, and the tough team of Ghana face each other. The stakes are huge: a place in the 1/16-finals, where the winner will face Switzerland or Algeria.
The road to eliminations
Colombia, led by tactician Nestor Lorenzo, arrives in the elimination phase with their heads held high and without a single defeat. The “Cafeteros“ impressed the football community after recording victories over Uzbekistan (3:1) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (1:0), and in their last match they held a goalless draw against Portugal, which secured them first place in the group.
On the other hand, Ghana qualified as one of the best third teams in Group L. Under the leadership of the experienced Carlos Queiroz - who has an interesting history as a former coach of Colombia - the “Black Stars“ showed incredible defensive discipline. They beat Panama 1:0, made a prestigious 0:0 against England and narrowly lost to Croatia 1:2 in a match marked by individual mistakes.
The tactical conundrum: Attack vs. defense
The clash is shaping up to be a classic showdown between two elite strategists. Colombia plays fast, fluid, and attacking football. The big threat to the Africans will come from Liverpool winger Luis Diaz, veteran James Rodriguez, and right-back Daniel Munoz's inclusions from the back.
“We have to continue imposing our style step by step and go out to win every match“, said Colombian midfielder Richard Rios on the eve of the match.
However, Ghana is a team that knows how to “destroy“ the game of the favorites. The team averaged just 36% possession in the group stage, relying on a low defensive block and closed spaces. The big question mark ahead Carlos Queiroz remains in the position of striker Antoine Semenio, who suffered a minor injury in the previous match, but is expected to grit his teeth and start as a starter.
Historical context
This is the first official match between the men's national teams of Colombia and Ghana at World Cup level. However, the tradition of the World Cup shows that Colombia plays successfully against African nations (4 wins from 5 matches), while Ghana is still looking for its first success against a South American opponent in the knockout stages, after painful eliminations by Brazil in 2006 and Uruguay in 2010.
Possible compositions:
- Colombia (4-3-3): Vargas; Munoz, Sanchez, Lukumi, Mojica; Arias, Lerma, Puerta; Rodriguez, Suarez, Diaz.
- Ghana (4-3-3): Asare; Senaya, Ajetei, Lucassen, Mensah; Owusu, Partey, Sibo; Semenio, Ayew, Sulemana.
Head Referee: Clement Turpin (France).
Sources: FIFA.com, BTA, ESPN