Colombia ends eight-year World Cup wait with victory, but questions remain

For eight years, Colombia waited for this moment. That long drought finally ended on Wednesday, June 17, when the national team returned to the World Cup stage. The last appearance had come at Russia 2018, in the painful defeat to England when José Pékerman’s side was eliminated in a penalty shootout.

Mexico City and the historic Azteca Stadium welcomed not only the Colombian team but also millions of visiting supporters, who mixed Colombia’s yellow with the local green and turned the hours before kickoff into a celebration. A World Cup is always missed when it is gone, and Colombian fans made sure their return would be unforgettable.

That same passion carried into the stadium. Colombia supporters filled the stands, and one of the most anticipated moments for any fan arrived with the national anthem. Every corner of the country seemed represented in that emotional scene. It was a display of pride and unity before the battle began.

Colombia controlled the first half

The opening minutes were cautious as both teams sized each other up. Uzbekistan, making its World Cup debut under World Cup-winning coach Fabio Cannavaro, tried to establish possession early. It did not take long, however, for Colombia to tilt the field and spend most of the half in the attacking third.

That forced Néstor Lorenzo’s team to solve a defensive puzzle. Uzbekistan sat deep in a low block designed to neutralize Colombia’s greatest strengths: James Rodríguez’s long-range distribution and Luis Díaz’s explosive runs down the left flank.

The Uzbek defense also positioned its central defenders effectively to limit Luis Suárez’s impact. The striker struggled to find space inside the box, rarely received the ball in dangerous shooting positions, and found little rhythm with his teammates.

Colombia controlled possession and dictated the pace, but breaking through proved difficult. That changed in the 40th minute when Daniel Muñoz unlocked the game. The fullback timed his run perfectly and finished after an excellent pass from Díaz, rewarding Colombia’s dominance and giving the team its first goal of the tournament.

Colombia secures the win after a scare

The second half began much like the first. Uzbekistan attempted to push forward, but Colombia quickly regained control and looked for opportunities to extend the lead. The plan remained clear: feed Díaz in wide areas and search for Suárez inside the penalty area.

Yet Colombia’s attack often lacked variety. Mistakes crept in when the team moved forward, James Rodríguez was unable to consistently find openings between the lines, and the right side of the field was rarely used to balance the attack. Although Colombia remained the superior team, it struggled to find the second goal.

Then, at the moment when Colombia appeared uncertain and passive, Uzbekistan equalized. Camilo Vargas spilled a shot, allowing Abbosbek Fayzullaev to pounce on the rebound. The goalkeeper’s error played a role, but so did Colombia’s sluggish play leading up to the goal, which allowed the opposition to build momentum.

Luis Díaz quickly restored order. After an excellent performance, Gustavo Puerta won possession in midfield and fed the Bayern Munich winger, who finished with composure past Utkir Yusupov to put Colombia back in front.

Lorenzo then turned to his bench. Jaminton Campaz replaced James Rodríguez in the 71st minute, while Richard Ríos and Cucho Hernández entered in the 79th minute for Puerta and Luis Suárez. The goal was to add energy and mobility in midfield.

During the closing stages, Colombia seemed focused on protecting its lead, even though it faced an opponent it could have punished further. Then, in the 98th minute, with the team no longer playing its best soccer and Uzbekistan enjoying more territory, the decisive third goal arrived.

Juan Camilo Hernández recovered the ball on the right flank and delivered a cross to the far post, where Campaz rose above the defense and headed home. The goal sealed a 3-1 victory and capped a positive result that still failed to erase every concern surrounding Lorenzo’s tactical approach.

Colombia’s next game will take place on June 23 at 9 p.m. local time in Guadalajara against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which earned a draw against Portugal. It will be a significant test, and the coaching staff will need to address several issues if Colombia hopes to overcome it.

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Uzbekistan

• 1 Utkir Yusupov
• 5 Rustam Ashurmatov (76')
• 2 Abdukodir Khusanov
• 18 Abdulla Abdullaev
• 24 Bekhruz Karimov
• 13 Sherzod Nasrullaev (45')
• 7 Otabek Shukurov
• 6 Akmal Mozgovoy
• 14 Eldor Shomurodov (92')
• 11 Oston Urunov (45')
• 22 Abbosbek Fayzullaev (76')
• Substitutes
• 25 Avazbek O'lmasaliev
• 12 Abduvokhid Nematov
• 3 Khojiakbar Alijonov
• 8 Jamshid Iskanderov
• 23 Sherzod Esanov
• 15 Umar Eshmurodov
• 4 Farrukh Sayfiev (45')
• 16 Botirali Ergashev
• 19 Aziz G'aniev
• 10 Ruslanbek Jiyanov
• 17 Dostonbek Khamdamov (45')
• 26 Jakhongir Urozov (76')
• 20 Azizbek Amonov (76')
• 9 Odiljon Khamrobekov
• 21 Igor Sergeev (92')SC

Colombia

• 12 Camilo Vargas
• 3 John Lucumi
• 23 Davinson Sánchez
• 2 Daniel Muñoz
• 17 Mojica
• 11 Jhon Arias (92')
• 16 Jefferson Lerma
• 14 Gustavo Puerta (79')
• 7 Luis Díaz (92')
• 10 James (71')
• 25 Luis Suárez (79')
• Substitutes
• 15 Juan Portilla
• 18 Willer Ditta
• 13 Yerry Mina
• 8 Jorge Carrascal
• 22 Deiver Machado
• 4 Santiago Arias
• 6 Richard Rios (79')
• 9 Córdoba
• 26 Andrés Gómez (92')SC
• 5 Kevin Castaño (92')SC
• 21 Jaminton Campaz (71')
• 20 Juan Quintero
• 19 Cucho Hernández (79')
• 24 Álvaro Montero
• 1 David Ospina

Substitutions

Dostonbek Khamdamov (45', Oston Urunov), Farrukh Sayfiev (45', Sherzod Nasrullaev), Jaminton Campaz (71', James Rodríguez), Jakhongir Urozov (76', Rustam Ashurmatov), Azizbek Amonov (76', Abbosbek Fayzullaev), Richard Ríos (79', Gustavo Puerta), Cucho Hernández (79', Luis Suárez), Igor Sergeev (92', Eldor Shomurodov), Andrés Gómez (92', Luis Díaz), Kevin Castaño (92', Jhon Arias)

Goals

0-1, 39': Daniel Muñoz, 1-1, 59': Abbosbek Fayzullaev, 1-2, 64': Luis Díaz, 1-3, 98': Jaminton Campaz

Cards

Referee: Anthony Taylor
VAR Referee: Ivan Bebek, Jarred Gillett
Mojica (6',Yellow), Abdukodir Khusanov (33',Yellow)

Standings

Group K	Pts.	P	W	D	L
1 COL	3	1	1	0	0
2 CON	1	1	0	1	0
3 POR	1	1	0	1	0
4 UZB	0	1	0	0	1

Group K	Pts.	P	W	D	L
1 COL	3	1	1	0	0
2 CON	1	1	0	1	0
3 POR	1	1	0	1	0
4 UZB	0	1	0	0	1