PREVIEW: Colombia face off against Suarez-less Uruguay
Despite the absence of star striker and talisman Radamel Falcao, Colombia have come good on the notion that many pegged them as a potential dark horse this summer. With the likes of Juan Cuadrado, Jackson Martinez, Carlso Sanchez, the turned back clock of Mario Yepes and the brilliant performances of James Rodriguez, the absence of Falcao has gone unnoticed and now see’s Los Cafeteros on the verge of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in their history.
Falcao who? This summer, it’s all about James Rodriguez for Colombia – he’s been brilliant.
Brilliant performances against Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan should be commended – Greece is always incredibly hard to break down, Ivory Coast boasted their best side in its history and despite Japan disappointing, they were one of the most technically gifted sides in the whole tournament. Nine goals later and only two allowed (the most shocking part of it really) Colombia’s group stage performances were right up there with the Netherlands and France in regards to quality.
Uruguay will be without Suarez’s talent, goals and questionable sanity.
As for Uruguay, they are in a bit of a quandary. Bereft of Suarez against Costa Rica, they were trounced 3-1. When Suarez was in the XI, Uruguay won both matches and ended up getting out of the group after a disastrous start. In the aftermath of his mid-afternoon snack, Uruguay will be without Suarez for the remainder of their stay in Brazil, and will have to find a way to gain a result against one of the best sides from the group stage.
Uruguay does have a bit of quality going forward, but Edinson Cavani is not nearly as effective without Suarez, and the aging legs of Diego Forlan are not what they used to be. They still maintain the steel and grit throughout their XI, but is that enough to derail a Colombian train that looks good value to reach the last eight at minimum?
"Projected Starting XI’sColombia: Ospina; Armero, Yepes, Zapata, Zuniga; Sanchez, Aguilar; Rodriguez, Quintero, Cuadrado; MartinezUruguay: Muslera; A.Pereira, Godin, Gimenez, Caceres; Gargano, Rios; Ramirez; Rodriguez, Cavani, Stuani"
They’ve been brilliant going forward, but Mario Yepes (left) has turned the clock back when his country needed him most – he’s been inspired at the back for Colombia.
Key’s for Colombia:
– Change nothing what so ever – They’ve been brilliant, and without question, not only have they been one of the best attacking sides in the tournament, but they have been one of the best over all. If it aint broke, don’t fix it.
– Control of the midfield – Colombia’s midfield is not the creative hub of the side, but Rodriguez, Cuadrado and others may well struggle to dictate terms in the final third if Uruguay is allowed to control central areas.
– Colombia is fantastic on the break, but they will also have to be wary of getting caught out when pushing forward. Armero and Zuniga do like to try to get forward when possible, and even though Uruguay are without Suarez, they still have counter attacking threats through Cavani, Stuani and Rodriguez.
Key’s for Uruguay:
– Finding a way to create chances without Suarez will be the biggest stumbling block for them. He is not a provider usually, but his goal scoring will be messed as well as his ability on the ball that draws defenders away to create space for others. Ramirez, Cavani and Stuani must raise their game if Uruguay have any chance to progress.
– Have the full back sit back and defend. Such is the ruthless nature of the Colombian counter attack that Uruguay will be better suited having Pereira and Caceres sit back level with Godin and Gimenez rather than being caught out and made to pay for the space they would leave behind.
– The combination of Gargano and Rios must not only cut the service to Rodriguez and Cuadrado, but they must also do well to routinely track back and give additional support to the back-four in cutting off their access to the channels in the final third.
Key Battles:
– Rodriguez v Rios – Colombia have so many attacking threats, but none shine brighter than Rodriguez. He’ll drift between left, right and center all match long in the final third, so Rios will have to keep track of him and give the back-four added support to deal with this ability both on and off the ball. If Rodriguez is dealt with, Colombia may struggle to create.
– Pereira v Cuadrado – Cuadrado is just as mobile as Rodriguez, but the real threat from him comes from his pace down the right flank and then cutting into the box late to look to play a ball across the face of goal. Pereira will have to be at his best to neutralize this threat, and must be sure to not get caught out further up the pitch.
– Cavani v Yepes – Yepes has been absolutely brilliant this summer given his age, and has turned the clock back roughly a decade. Despite him being resolute at the back, he still lacks pace. Cavani has plenty of it and on top of that, is incredibly strong on the ball and in the air. Without Suarez, Uruguay will be relying that much more on Cavani to do a job up front – Yepes must be up to the task.
"Match PredictionSuarez had two of Uruguay’s four goals in the group stage, and without him, they never look the same going forward. In truth, Colombia just have too much in the attack and from more than one source. Whether its Rodriguez, Cuadrado, Quintero, Martinez, Gutierrez or Ibarbo, Colombia’s depth in the attack will be far too much for Uruguay to handle over the course of 90minutes. For me, 3-1 Colombia and they finally reach the quarterfinals."