Colombia not only blew out Poland on Sunday afternoon, 3-0, but the Tricolors also eliminated offered some clarity in the race for the group’s two spots in the knockout stage. Poland, the highest-ranked team by FIFA entering the tournament, is eliminated. That leaves Colombia (three points) with a much improved chance to advance along with either Senegal or Japan (four points each).
Colombia repeatedly attacked Poland down the left side, exploiting its weakness for two goals. The third came on a beautiful pass ahead and into the middle by Juan Quintero to set up a goal for sentimental hero Radamel Falcao, 32, who missed the last World Cup because of a left knee injury that required two ACL surgeries to fix.
Poland tried all afternoon to find a weakness in Colombia’s back line but it never put together a dangerous chance and finished with just two of its nine shots on goal. Even with the team’s three goals, Colombia’s defense might have been the biggest reason the Tricolors find themselves with a quality opportunity to move on.
What’s next
Colombia: vs. Senegal in Samara, Thursday, 10 a.m.
Poland: vs. Japan in Volgograd, Thursday, 10 a.m.