It is just as well for Colombia that their only top
performance in the World Cup so far came against
European opposition. Their 3-0 win over Poland
needs to be the template for what is to come.
That's because Colombia are the only non-European
side in their half of the draw.
Overcome England on Tuesday, and they will meet
either Sweden or Switzerland the following Saturday.
Get through that one and it is a semifinal against
either Spain, Russia, Croatia or Denmark.
There is one Asian team in the last 16 and one
from the CONCACAF region. Other than that, it is a
case of whether South America can prevent a third
consecutive European World Cup triumph. And
Colombia's game with England is the third of three
South America vs. Europe clashes in the second
round.
The trio starts with a match in which there is a
clear favourite. True, France have been hugely
disappointing so far, but they rarely look like
conceding a goal. That's in stark contrast to
Argentina, who appear on the verge of a
catastrophe every time they are placed under
attack.
The World Cup is like time speeded up, and teams
suddenly come together and click during the course
of the competition. Morale in the Argentine camp
will have greatly improved since they avoided a
humiliating first-round exit. And the team look to
have a better balance since the senior players have
obliged coach Jorge Sampaoli to keep things
simple, with an orthodox back four rather than the
constant improvisations that he was being panicked
into.
All the same, a question hangs over the game.
France clearly have much more to give. But do
Argentina? Do their ageing team have the legs to
cope with a rival which is younger, better balanced
and better rested?
Obviously they have the individual genius of Lionel
Messi. But in all of the teams that remain in the
tournament, is there a more formidable opponent to
take care of the Messi marking duty than France's
N'Golo Kante? If Argentina can haul themselves
through this round, it will surely take an epic effort
well worthy of a place in the history books.
Uruguay's game against Portugal would seem like a
more evenly matched affair -- extremely evenly
matched, since the teams are almost mirror
reflections of each other. Both are pragmatic units
built in support of world-class strikers -- Cristiano
Ronaldo for Portugal, Luis Suarez and Edinson
Cavani for Uruguay.
Much will clearly be made of the Madrid
dimension, Ronaldo of Real against the Atletico
centre-back pairing of Diego Godin and Jose Maria
Gimenez. The fitness of the latter will be important.
Has he made a complete recovery from the injury
that kept him out of the Russia game? Ronaldo will
be probing.
At the other end, can Suarez and Cavani get behind
an ageing pair of Portugal centre-backs? They will
need supply, and Uruguay looked much better
balanced in possession with the tweak to the
formation that they introduced during the game
against Russia. With the sides so well matched,
extra time and penalties cannot be ruled out.
Colombia bring the round to an end with their
match against England. It was interesting to see the
England side sit deep in their match against
Belgium. Even bearing in mind that coach Gareth
Southgate was fielding a reserve side, it begged the
question of whether this will be his tactical
approach for the rest of the tournament, taking
advantage of his team's pace on the counter-attack.
Colombia, though, have been at their least
impressive at those moments when they have been
forced back inside their own half -- as Japan did to
them after the interval of the opening game, and as
Senegal did for the opening 45 minutes on
Thursday. Once they are forced back, centre-forward
Radamel Falcao Garcia offers little, especially if he
can be isolated from winger Juan Guillermo
Cuadrado and star man James Rodriguez.
The latter is clearly an injury worry for Colombia.
The key to the outstanding performance against
Poland, Colombia's best since the last World Cup,
was the link up between Rodriguez and Juan
Fernando Quintero. In the absence of the skill and
dynamism of James, Colombia lose plenty.
Quintero, though, remains a threat, with the quality
of his set piece delivery and his left-footed passes
for Falcao, who will probe for holes in the England
back three -- all the more reason, then, to force the
Colombians back.

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